The First Lackey Under The Empress

"You're leaving already?" Zhao Du'an asked in surprise, finding their departure rather hasty.

Little Offering Song Jinxi grunted an affirmative, explaining:

"Their injuries aren't serious. Perhaps they lost and don't want to stay any longer. So, after a brief rest, they packed their bags and prepared to leave, even declining the send-off we arranged. Weren't you the one who told me to keep an eye on them and notify you when they were about to leave?"

Zhao Du'an took a deep breath and asked, "How far have they gotten?"

On the main road leading to the imperial city gate, a carriage rattled along, its wheels grinding over the stone pavement. Chai Keqiao acted as the coachman himself, holding the reins, one leg dangling, his straw sandals swinging.

Seeing the city gate approaching, he turned and lifted the curtain, asking Xiao Ran in the carriage:

"Are you really leaving just like that? Won't you see your aunt again? The Empress would surely allow it."

Xiao Ran leaned against the carriage wall, a small bundle on her lap, while Qi Ye sat cross-legged on the other side.

She looked dispirited, feeling both the frustration of losing to Zhao Du'an and the melancholy of leaving this heartbreaking city:

"There's no need. My aunt no longer remembers me. If I go again, I'll only bring her trouble."

Chai Keqiao pursed his lips, refraining from further persuasion. As the carriage neared the imperial city gate, the sound of hooves suddenly came from behind.

Zhao Du'an, alone on horseback, galloped towards them: "Hold on!"

Chai Keqiao narrowed his eyes, stopped the carriage, and cupped his fist in a salute:

"Does Young Protector Zhao have any further instructions?"

Zhao Du'an, still on his horse, reined in and ignored the fellow, speaking directly to the carriage:

"Miss Xiao, I have a farewell gift for you to accept."

Xiao Ran lifted the curtain, staring at him coldly. Suddenly, she raised her hand and caught a jewelry box that Zhao Du'an abruptly tossed over.

She raised an eyebrow, hearing Zhao Du'an say indifferently:

"Don't misunderstand. This was an item confiscated from Consort Xiao's residence during the investigation. It was a gift Consort Xiao prepared for the younger members of the family for the New Year. This one should be for you; your name is on it."

Xiao Ran was stunned, finding it hard to believe that this guy would be so kind.

Zhao Du'an added, "Oh, right. Those unruly female officials from the Shangshan Bureau have already been dealt with by Consort Mo."

After dropping those words, he turned his horse and left.

Leaving the Qingshan trio staring blankly at his retreating figure.

Inside the carriage.

Xiao Ran placed the jewelry box on top of the bundle on her lap with a complex expression, only then noticing an old slip of paper tucked into the box's seam.

Her childhood name was written on it in delicate handwriting. Opening the box, she saw a jade-green ice flower bracelet resting on red silk cloth.

Xiao Ran pursed her lips, suddenly choking with sobs.

… …

… …

Afternoon, the Zhao residence.

Zhao Du'an was immediately subjected to curious, babying-like questioning from his concubine and younger sister upon returning home.

You Jinhua was concerned about whether he was injured, while Zhao Pan was particularly curious about the "Peach Blossom Sword" that was all the rage in official circles.

Zhao Du'an didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he simply demonstrated a silent peach blossom cutting technique with a tree branch at home, causing the two women to exclaim in amazement.

Returning to his study.

Zhao Du'an walked past the framed portrait of the Empress hanging on the wall, sat down at his desk, spread out a piece of paper, and began to write down the preparations for this southern Fengshan ceremony one by one.

"Although I have Princess Consort Lu as an internal contact, I must not be careless. My enemies are not only Prince Jing on the surface, but also those clan forces in Jiancheng Dao."

"I must bring enough manpower."

Zhao Du'an wrote down several names on the paper:

"Eunuch Hai has already agreed to go south with me and will bring most of the palace offerings with him. Well, protecting me doesn't require such a large formation. Their main purpose is still to prepare for Zhenbao's Fengshan ceremony, clearing obstacles in advance."

"Lang Shiba and Ji Yue must be brought along, as well as trusted confidants from Lihua Hall. They are easy to use and trustworthy… As for Haitang and the others, there's no need."

"Unfortunately, Gongshu Tianyuan and Jin Jian have once again left the capital to gain experience and can't temporarily freeload the battle power of the Heavenly Master's Mansion… However, I can write to them before I leave and try to trick these two goods into coming to Jiancheng Dao…"

As Zhao Du'an pondered, he still felt it wasn't stable enough. Suddenly, the sound of a dog barking came from inside the residence.

A servant hurriedly appeared outside the door:

"Master, someone is looking for you outside. It seems to be… a woman who has been to our house before."

A strange woman who has been to the house?

Is Zhenbao here? It shouldn't be at this time… Or is it Mochou?

Zhao Du'an frowned, pushed open the door, and walked out of the residence, walking out of the house with suspicion. He saw a woman wearing a cloak standing at the door.

Seeing him, she gently extended her jade hand, lifted the cloak's cover, revealing a plump and graceful figure, and a familiar face. The woman's lips curled upward:

"Benefactor, we meet again."

Zhao Du'an's pupils constricted, and he subconsciously covered his kidneys: "Prajna Bodhisattva?!"

… …

… …

Jiancheng Dao.

Unlike the capital, which is located in the north, Jiancheng Dao's climate is pleasant, although not as spring-like as Lingnan all year round.

After the arrival of the God of Spring, the earth turned green, and flowers and plants bloomed in succession. Scholars from all over Jiancheng Dao gathered in groups to go on outings and spring outings.

On this day, Prince Jing's mansion went on a grand outing.

Prince Jing, with an elegant temperament, slightly graying temples, and a appearance somewhat similar to the late emperor, stood under the shade of a tree in luxurious clothes, watching his young son and daughter playing and making noise in the distant stream.

Beads of various colors were wrapped around his right arm, sparkling with precious light, but not appearing vulgar.

"Father, the secret agents have sent the latest information from the Kuangfu Society."

The heir, Xu Jinglong, came behind him and bowed respectfully.

"Speak."

"After Zhuang Xiaocheng was beheaded and executed in the capital, the imperial court sent Shadow Guards to spread Zhuang Xiaocheng's personal scandals in various places. It has been quite effective. Although the time is still short, even within our Jiancheng Dao, the market places have begun to discuss it, and the reputation of the Kuangfu Society has fallen to the bottom."

Prince Jing snorted coldly:

"Good trick. It must be Zhao Du'an's work again. Not only did he damage Zhuang Xiaocheng's reputation, but he also shook the foundation of the rumors carefully woven by the Kuangfu Society. Such poisonous schemes that are devoid of integrity and disregard for face, no one in the court except this person would use."

After a pause, he asked again:

"What is the Kuangfu Society's reaction? How are they responding?"

Xu Jinglong said with disappointment:

"There has been no response. After Zhuang Xiaocheng's death, the Kuangfu Society was scattered. Fortunately, Xu Jianwen's son, this banner, is still alive. Qi Yuchun is shouldering the banner, comforting everyone, barely preventing the society from collapsing into scattered sand, but its vitality has been greatly damaged. In a short period of time, it is impossible to confront the imperial court."

Prince Jing didn't care much:

"Qi Yuchun only has martial power, but no ideas. With the Kuangfu Society in his hands, it will be difficult to achieve anything. If Zhuang Xiaocheng had agreed to submit to this prince in the first place, why would he have ended up in such a situation? Heh, but it's also good. With him around, it's not easy to control that orphan and widow that Xu Jianwen left behind…"

"Is Father planning to treat that mother and son…"

"Don't rush," Prince Jing pondered for a moment, raised his hand to stop him, "Haste makes waste. Let Qi Yuchun support them for a while and see which prince can't help but take action."

"Yes," Xu Jinglong nodded, then changed the subject:

"The secret agents also sent news that the matter of the Marquis of Liu'an accepting bribes in Huaishui seems to have been leaked and reported to the patrolling censor. It just hasn't been confirmed yet."

"Stupid," Prince Jing snorted coldly, his expression full of contempt:

"These local gentry have been comfortable for too long. It would be fine to bribe and insert some minor officials, but they are so bold as to seek the position of Prefect. It's so obvious that the imperial court would have to be blind not to notice. That Marquis of Liu'an is also a bold and stupid fellow."

Xu Jinglong thought for a moment and said euphemistically:

"Presumably, those Jiangnan gentry are also desperately seeking medical treatment because they are too afraid of the New Deal."

Prince Jing said indifferently:

"However, it's good that it's been exposed. At this time, presumably my niece is already furious. While thoroughly investigating, she will probably send Beijing officials to come down and severely beat this group of gentry, so as to pave the way for the officials behind.

We only need to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. When the people from the imperial court come down and beat this group of clans, making them hurt and fear, we will then take action to help them, pulling them up. In this way, these people will know that only by fully supporting this prince is there a way out."

Xu Jinglong smiled:

"Father is using a knife to kill people. This group of local powerful families is respectful to us on the surface, but in reality, they are not very obedient. By tossing them around like this, the imperial court is actually helping Father train the dogs, helping to strengthen our wings."

The corners of Prince Jing's mouth turned up slightly, his expression not without pride:

"What else is there?"

"Oh, the second son of the Shen family has died of illness, the one called Second Master Shen. The Shen family's old lady is said to have been excessively grief-stricken and briefly fainted," Xu Jinglong said with a gossipy expression.

Second Master Shen… Prince Jing thought thoughtfully:

"Has the cause of death been investigated?"

“They say it was a toxic invasion. Second Master Shen fell ill last year after returning from the capital. The official story is that he contracted a cold poison in the remote and harsh mountains along the way, but my son's investigation suggests it was caused by a master severing his life bridge.”

Last year, Zhao Du'an rushed to Taicang to arrest Provincial Administration Commissioner Gao Lian and bring him back to the capital.

Gao Lian's legal wife, Madam Shen, was a daughter of the Jiancheng Dao aristocratic Shen family. In other words, Gao Lian had the support of the Shen family behind him.

At that time, Second Master Shen went to the capital to meet with Li Yanfu, the leader of the "Li faction," intending to use Gao Lian's case to gamble with the Empress and silence the Taicang County Magistrate.

Later, Zhao Du'an sneaked into the prison and killed Gao Lian. The Empress then dispatched a palace guard to intercept Second Master Shen, who was fleeing the capital in haste, giving him a warning.

In reality, his life bridge was severed. After Second Master Shen returned, he fell seriously ill. Despite the Shen family inviting many miraculous doctors, they only managed to prolong his life by two months.

“The Old Madam of the Shen family dotes on this grandson quite a bit. He is even more favored than the nominal head of the family. Now that he has died at the hands of my niece… Hehe, the Old Madam of the Shen family is probably looking for an opportunity to retaliate,” King Jing said with a smile.

The Heir Apparent Xu asked curiously, “Dare she?”

King Jing sighed and said:

“Often, the older a woman is, the more terrifying she becomes when she goes crazy, disregarding the consequences. When you act outside in the future, don't assume that everyone is calm, tolerant, and easily manipulated. Haven't you heard that when a martial artist is enraged, blood will splatter five steps away?”

“Your son is educated.”

King Jing nodded, his gaze falling on his young children catching fish in the stream, and Princess Lu Yan'er standing by the river, smiling, always feigning a gentle demeanor in front of outsiders.

He said, “The Governor-General of the Grand Canal still refuses to yield. Go and knock some sense into him. Remember to do it cleanly and don't involve the Royal Mansion.”

Xu Jinglong smiled and said, “Don't worry, Father.”

…

Xu Jinglong took a few guards, traveling light, and left the suburbs, arriving at a certain dock.

Someone was waiting at the dock, respectfully welcoming the Heir Apparent onto a small boat, which headed towards a ship anchored on the river.

On the ship, young and strong men dressed in uniform gray short shirts stood respectfully.

Leading this group was a middle-aged man wearing a blue scholar's robe, holding a folding fan, and with his hair meticulously combed, resembling a Confucian scholar.

“Esteemed guest, please come to the cabin for a chat,”

The blue-robed scholar smiled and gestured, appearing like a well-mannered and cultured descendant of a scholarly family.

Xu Jinglong's expression was indifferent, neither smiling nor angry, stepping into the cabin without expression. Once the door was closed, only the two of them remained in the room.

The blue-robed scholar suddenly knelt on the ground respectfully, almost prostrating himself: “He Xiaolou respectfully welcomes Your Highness, the Heir Apparent.”

Xu Jinglong's demeanor was arrogant, his eyes filled with condescending indifference. He didn't look at He Xiaolou kneeling before him, leisurely picked up a pear from the exquisite fruit plate, and said faintly:

“I'm instructing you to do something. Make sure it's done neatly.”

“Your Highness, please command.”

“The Governor-General of the Grand Canal's wife and daughters have returned to their old home. In a few days, they will be coming back, and they will definitely be traveling by river. The river is the territory of your Canal Gang. Kidnap them for me, hide them, and then…”

He Xiaolou, the leader of the Canal Gang, a famous figure in the gangland world of Jiancheng Dao and even Huai Shui Dao, a powerful figure in the underworld with countless followers, listened quietly, a slight sweat breaking out on his forehead.

“Do you remember?” Xu Jinglong asked after giving his instructions.

“I remember.”

“Huh? This Heir Apparent didn't hear clearly.”

“…I forgot. This lowly one remembers nothing.” He Xiaolou changed his words.

“Very good.” Xu Jinglong, who was meek in front of his father but aggressive in front of others, smiled with satisfaction, casually threw down the half-eaten pear, letting it roll around in the cabin, and walked out freely:

“The Canal Gang's leader lives comfortably, with fruits fresher than those in the Royal Mansion.”

He Xiaolou bowed his head and said, “This lowly one will order the freshest ones to be sent to the Royal Mansion.”

“I'm leaving.” Xu Jinglong didn't look back, leaving the ship.

After watching the Heir Apparent leave, He Xiaolou slowly restrained his expression, restoring his demeanor as a literati, but the gloom between his brows lingered.

A confidant looked at his gang leader's knees, where his robe was stained with some dust, and squatted down to brush it off for him.

He Xiaolou held his folding fan, looking at the flowing water in the river, and said:

“Take some men and make a trip.”

Behind him, a martial artist carrying an iron rod and with a red silk cloth wrapped around his right arm lightly said, “En.”

“I'm going back to rest, order the boat to go home,” He Xiaolou turned and went back into the cabin.

Before long, the entire ship sailed along the river towards the distance, but at the same time as it left, at the stern of the ship, the martial artist wrapped in red silk threw a fresh corpse into the turbulent river without expression.

“Bang!”

The gang member who had just brushed the dust off He Xiaolou's knees widened his eyes as the lifeless corpse rolled down, creating a burst of white spray.

…

…

The people from Qingshan left the capital silently, without attracting much attention.

The martial arts competition was just a prelude to the Empress's once-in-a-century duel with the Martial Immortal.

Apart from stirring up a slightly larger wave in officialdom, the news slowly spread into the martial arts world through the mouths of those in the know, but this was a long process.

After the martial arts competition ended, a few more days passed, and another official ship set sail again, heading south from the capital's wharf.

…

“Whirr—”

In the familiar sound of water waves, driven by his biological clock, Zhao Du'an punctually ended this round of meditation and breathing exercises.

He opened his eyelids and saw the familiar setting of the ship cabin room.

“I've never been on a boat in my previous life, but in this life, I'm addicted to it.”

Zhao Du'an sighed softly, rubbing his face with both hands to relieve the fatigue accumulated from the long boat ride.

“In this era without entertainment, taking a boat is really boring. I suddenly understand why Xu Fu brought three hundred virgin boys and girls when he went east… What is long-term vision? What is foresight? He understood it completely… In comparison, Zheng He's voyages to the West were not good. Besides the male crew members, there were only old women to wash clothes… Zheng He doesn't understand at all… Oh, Zheng He is a eunuch… Then never mind.”

It has been many days since leaving the capital. Due to the deepening of spring, the wind direction on the Grand Canal is suitable, and the speed of the ship is quite fast.

But the last time he took a boat south, he only reached the border between Linfeng and Huai Shui. This time, he passed through Huai Shui and arrived in Jiancheng Dao.

Logically speaking, the Feng Chan team should be vast and mighty, taking huge dragon boats, unfurling bright yellow dragon flags, and along the way, government officials and people would welcome them on both sides of the road.

But all of the above is the pomp that the Empress has when she goes south in the summer. Zhao Du'an is bringing people to the vanguard this time, so naturally he can't be so extravagant.

Moreover, considering the dense hatred value on his body, Zhao Du'an's trip was unusually low-key, and even ordered the secret agents to block the news, striving to quietly enter the country, and cause the local aristocratic families of Jiancheng Dao, as well as the old rival King Jing, to pay attention later.

Therefore, the ship didn't stop much along the way, and it was extremely boring except for the necessary supplies. The few books that were carried were all turned over and over.

“Knock knock knock.”

Suddenly, the cabin door was knocked, and then the door was pushed open without waiting for his response.

Outside the door, standing was a plump, porcelain-skinned, long-haired, not inferior to Zhenbao, and almost transparent female Bodhisattva.

Bodhisattva Prajna, draped in her thin monk's robe that was almost transparent, smiled and said:

“Layman Zhao, it's time for the midday vegetarian meal.”

Zhao Du'an subconsciously took two steps back and said helplessly:

“Bodhisattva, how many times have I told you, knock before entering… Uh, although you knocked this time, you should also wait for me to agree to you to come in before coming in. What if I'm not convenient at this time, if you break in directly, wouldn't it be…”

Bodhisattva Prajna's face, which showed no signs of being over fifty years old, with no wrinkles, and as smooth as a peeled egg, had a bright smile:

“Wouldn't it be just right?”

“…Bodhisattva, please respect yourself! Don't forget what His Majesty said before leaving the capital!”

Zhao Du'an's scalp was numb, and his mentality was a bit broken by this female Bodhisattva who repeatedly came to his door on her own initiative, and who could fly all over Yu Country.

Bodhisattva Prajna's smile remained unchanged, but she looked a little sad:

“This poor monk naturally remembers that His Majesty said that if I dare to eat you, she will peel off my skin. However, this place is thousands of miles away from the capital, the sky is high and the emperor is far away, and this poor monk has the confidence to use magic to cover up the movement. Layman, your journey is boring and dull, don't you feel tempted?”