The First Lackey Under The Empress

"Bet on whether the Shen family will assassinate the envoy?"

Inside the swaying carriage, the Grand Coordinator of the Water Transport paused, hesitantly asking.

Zhao Du'an leaned lazily against the soft cushion, softly murmuring, "To be precise, it's whether I will be assassinated."

Did the Shen family dare to kill him? Zhao Du'an wasn't entirely sure.

In this era where imperial power didn't extend to the villages, it was difficult to comprehend the power of local "clans" without being in it.

The promotion of the new policies had fundamental conflicts with the interests of the Shen family, not to mention the death of "Second Master Shen" hanging between them.

In Zhao Du'an's view, the biggest obstacle to the Shen family taking action wasn't his identity as "Junior Guardian."

He still remembered that, a long time ago, the old Director of Ceremonial Affairs had told him that, during the reign of the late Emperor, there had been eunuch favorites in the palace who had been sent out to procure goods, only to be killed by local forces.

The biggest obstacle was probably the many powerful guards around Zhao Du'an.

In addition, what he didn't make clear to Governor Ning was: even if the Shen family didn't act, would the Jing Prince's Mansion be quiet?

The Jing Prince's Mansion could frame the Shen family once, why couldn't they do it a second time?

However, these higher-level struggles were beyond the immediate understanding of the Grand Coordinator of the Water Transport, due to his limited perspective.

"Haha, perhaps I'm overthinking it," Zhao Du'an smiled, breaking the heavy atmosphere: "By the way, has the news of my arrival in the city spread yet?"

Seeing him change the subject, Governor Ning forced a smile:

"All the prominent figures in Jianning Prefecture already know. Long ago, the locals knew that His Majesty would perform the Feng and Shan sacrifices at Luo. Upon learning that the envoy has come by imperial decree to prepare for the sacrifices, who would dare to be negligent?"

In all dynasties, the Feng and Shan sacrifices were extremely grand events.

The Empress's Feng and Shan sacrifices involved more than just the Jing Prince and the Shen family.

"Now, the entire Jianning Prefecture, and even the two Jiangnan circuits, countless people are eagerly waiting to meet you, hoping to contribute to the Feng and Shan ceremonies," Governor Ning said.

Zhao Du'an thought for a moment and nodded:

"Since that's the case, it will save time to meet them one by one. I'll trouble the Governor to arrange a meeting tonight with the gentry, wealthy merchants, and officials of various yamen in Jianning Prefecture. This will also facilitate the scheduling of the ceremonies later on."

Governor Ning agreed readily: "Alright."

...

The group returned to Jianning Prefecture, heading straight to the Water Transport Yamen. For the rest of the afternoon, Zhao Du'an reviewed documents and files in the yamen, understanding the progress of the local new policies and the vacancies of officials.

The conflict with the Shen family, under the tacit cover-up of all parties, was known to few.

As evening approached, Governor Ning brought back news, saying that arrangements had been made for a welcome banquet tonight at "Jing Garden," where people from all walks of life in the city would gather, both to pay respects to "Zhao Du'an," the great figure, and to try to seek a position in the Feng and Shan ceremonies.

Zhao Du'an nodded happily. At dusk, he led a group of guards and went to Jing Garden with Governor Ning.

...

The so-called "Jing Garden" was a river section where buildings, stone bridges, gardens, and waterways intertwined.

It wasn't a closed manor, but the most lively area in Jianning Prefecture at night. Along the riverbanks, the lights never went out. On a protruding landmass in the brocade river flowing through the city, pavilions and towers stood by the water.

It was somewhat like an ancient version of "The Bund."

When Zhao Du'an arrived, the sky was slightly dark. The ancient buildings were ablaze with lights, and the red shadows of the lanterns were reflected in the river. On the colorfully decorated flower boats on the river, the famous courtesans and dancers of the city were already in place.

The music of strings and bamboo, accompanied by unique southern tunes, created a very atmospheric scene.

"There are so many people," Qian Kerou, walking behind Zhao Du'an, widened her eyes in amazement.

Zhao Du'an joked, "You look like you've never seen the world. The Rouge Alley in the capital isn't any worse."

The little secretary felt wronged: "I don't go to brothels to listen to music. This is my first time seeing this."

That's right, Xiao Rou was an honest child, clocking in and out on time, never fooling around. In contrast, Hou Renmeng and Shen Juan, two secretly flirtatious guys, were whispering and commenting on which dancer's butt was more perky.

"Haha, with the arrival of Envoy Zhao, Jianning Prefecture is greatly encouraged..." A local celebrity greeted him obsequiously.

"Lord Zhao, it's me! We met in the capital," a wealthy merchant greeted him with delight.

"Envoy Lord..."

"Junior Guardian Zhao..."

Inside Jing Garden, apart from the walking waiters, prominent figures from all walks of life had already gathered. Seeing the main figure arrive, they enthusiastically crowded around.

The Prince's Mansion and the Shen family might not give Zhao Du'an face, but the others didn't dare to offend him. At least, superficial respect had to be shown.

Zhao Du'an smiled and was ushered into the banquet by a large group of big shots in the city, exchanging some formulaic greetings.

However, today was a "welcome banquet," and both sides tacitly avoided mentioning the major event of the Feng and Shan sacrifices.

Governor Ning smiled and introduced the people present to Zhao Du'an one by one. Zhao Du'an then matched the unfamiliar faces, some flattering, some enthusiastic, some forcing a smile, and some hiding vigilance, with the information he had seen in the afternoon.

The scene was unusually harmonious and融洽.

Only the Jing Prince's Mansion and the Shen family hadn't sent anyone.

This undoubtedly released a certain signal.

After a burst of excitement, the banquet began, and the prepared song and dance performances officially started.

Accompanied by a famous waitress dressed in revealing clothes, holding famous and expensive utensils, placing the delicacies in front of him, Zhao Du'an didn't rush to pick up his chopsticks.

Among the Grand Interior experts, a eunuch suddenly stood up, took out a special magic weapon, a silver needle, and checked the food in front of Zhao Du'an one by one.

After testing a few dishes in a row, as the silver needle was pulled out from a bowl of soup, the eunuch's eyes suddenly narrowed. He put the silver needle stained with soup into his mouth and tasted it, then whispered to Zhao Du'an:

"Lord, it's a colorless and odorless 'entry poison' that is enough to kill an ordinary Divine Chapter Realm cultivator."

You still dare to taste it? Oh, you specialize in poison and have long developed immunity to all poisons, so it's okay... Zhao Du'an calmly ordered, "Go check it out, don't make a scene."

Tang Jinzhong and Song Jinxi tacitly got up and walked towards the back kitchen. They returned not long after and said calmly:

"As soon as we went in, the person swallowed poison and died."

Zhao Du'an nodded and said, "Sit down and watch the show."

Then he turned his head, looked at Governor Ning, who was sitting with him with a stiff face, and smiled:

"What's wrong, Governor? Eat, don't worry, every dish we eat has been checked by a court poison expert."

Governor Ning stared blankly at Zhao Du'an, who was calm and unaffected by the assassination.

He turned his head and looked at the group of guards around him, including Eunuch Hai and Bodhisattva Prajna, all looking indifferent. He felt a little dazed and had a strong sense of unreality:

"Envoy, if I didn't hear wrong, someone just poisoned you."

"Yes, didn't I tell the Governor? The assassination against me will come soon," Zhao Du'an said, as if it were commonplace.

Governor Ning opened his mouth, then suddenly looked at Qian Kerou, who looked the youngest and most innocent at the table:

"Aren't you all surprised?"

The round-faced little secretary glanced at him and said plausibly:

"How many assassinations does my Lord not encounter every time he goes out? Even in the capital, he occasionally encounters them. What's so surprising?"

The others nodded in agreement, as if it were a matter of course.

"..." The Grand Coordinator of the Water Transport closed his mouth, silently put down his chopsticks, and decided not to eat a bite of rice tonight.

The song and dance lights in front of him also seemed strange.

Fortunately, this table was the main seat, some distance away from the other celebrities at the banquet in Jing Garden. To outsiders, it just looked like Zhao Du'an had ordered his men to go out for a trip, and no one knew that a poisoning had just happened here.

"Good..."

Zhao Du'an sat lazily, suddenly shouting good. It turned out that on the huge deck of the floating flower boat on the water, a song and dance had just ended.

In the center of many beautiful women wearing local-style gauze clothes, was a woman wearing a light red gauze skirt, with snow-white skin, a gemstone hairpin on her head, and extremely outstanding appearance and singing and dancing. It was the most famous courtesan in Jianning Prefecture.

It is said that since her debut, she has never been touched by anyone. The ticket to meet her for a tea session alone has been炒to five hundred taels a piece... and that's for the last row of seats.

At this moment, the famous courtesan of Jiancheng Dao finished a song, gently threw the guqin in her hand, and jumped into the water, creating a splash.

Then, accompanied by the sound of rushing water, continuous drums sounded. Zhao Du'an sat cross-legged in the center of the pavilion, leaning over the river.

He looked down, and as the drums ended, the river surface suddenly bloomed with waves, and a figure broke out of the water.

At this moment, a web of qi locked down the surroundings, but Zhao Du'an merely held a wine cup, smiling faintly.

Looking down into the water, the courtesan, soaked to the bone, her clothes almost transparent, unable to hide her fair and supple figure, emerged like a white carp. Her wet black hair hung down, and a plump rose, not meant to bloom in this season, was held in her red lips. She raised her head, hands gripping the edge of the pavilion, her eyes meeting Zhao Du'an's, who looked down from above, listening to the music.

"No need to panic, just a woman."

Zhao Du'an smiled indifferently, ignoring the courtesan waiting to be helped out of the water. He drained his wine cup, earning cheers from the dozens of local gentry around him.

The night banquet went on late into the night before the guests gradually dispersed. Jingyuan had already arranged rooms for Zhao Du'an and his entourage, where they could stay.

Governor-General Ning, because his wife and daughter were waiting for him at the yamen, felt it inappropriate to indulge in such pleasures and took his leave.

"Everyone, perk up and be vigilant."

The tipsy Zhao Du'an left these words behind, turned around, and swayed towards the most prestigious room by the Jingyuan riverbank, under the resentful gaze of the Prajna Bodhisattva.

… …

When he pushed open the door and entered the room, which was covered with expensive carpets and hung with square lanterns, his originally drunken eyes instantly cleared, showing no sign of intoxication.

He waited with his hands behind his back for a moment. The room was silent, only the burning of the candles in the lampshades and the sound of the wind blowing across the river outside echoed.

No… there was… the sound of breathing.

Zhao Du'an strode to the bed. Through the light gauze curtains, he could vaguely see a figure lying on their side on his bed.

He raised his hand and lifted the gauze curtain. What came into view was a delicate, reclining figure. The most famous courtesan in the city, no less beautiful than those in the capital, was wearing only a gauze skirt, sleeping on her side.

From bottom to top, there were her snow-white lotus feet, her pert, round buttocks, and her seemingly disheveled, yet orderly, cloud-like hair, and the beautiful curve below her neck.

Zhao Du'an said with interest, "Are you also an assassin?"

The eyelashes of the courtesan, who was lying on her side in deep sleep, trembled slightly, and her breathing became a little disordered.

Zhao Du'an smiled and said:

"Food and lust are human nature. Knowing that there are many experts around me, and a brute force attack is meaningless, you changed your strategy, first starting with food, and then with lust… You are willing to put in the effort and spend the money… Stop pretending to be asleep, your breathing rhythm has already betrayed you."

The courtesan remained motionless.

Zhao Du'an sighed softly, slowly walked to the bed, and sat down beside her, saying:

"Let me think, where on your body is the weapon hidden? Is it a sharp hairpin hidden in your hair, or a deadly poison hidden in the gaps between your teeth? It can't be…"

With each possibility he mentioned, the nerves of the courtesan, who was lying on her side pretending to be asleep, tightened a little more.

Finally, she couldn't withstand the invisible pressure, opened her eyes, and covered her face, weeping:

"Your Excellency, just kill me."

So she surrendered? Yes, a female assassin who obviously has no martial arts cultivation and no reason to be a magic expert…

Except between the sheets, when my guard is down, she has a chance to succeed in the assassination. Otherwise, with my high-ranking Divine Seal cultivation, if I am even a little prepared, she has absolutely no chance of a successful sneak attack…

As Zhao Du'an's thoughts raced, he smiled and suddenly struck the woman unconscious with a hand chop!

As the courtesan fell in shock, the hands covering her face drooped, revealing a small metal tube, bitten between her pearly teeth, ready to release poisonous gas.

"Unoriginal."

Zhao Du'an muttered, stood up, walked out of the room, and complained to the old eunuch in a python robe guarding the door:

"Eunuch, you are really dedicated to watching me."

Eunuch Hai tucked his sleeves and snorted, saying:

"His Majesty said that I should keep an eye on you, lest you be swallowed by that vixen."

Am I that kind of person? I am unwavering in my devotion to chastity, heaven and earth can bear witness, I wouldn't even touch an old nun in her fifties, let alone a strange courtesan… Zhao Du'an had an injured expression of not being trusted, and then frowned:

"Eunuch, I feel like something is wrong."

"What's wrong? Didn't you expect them to assassinate you? You even guessed what assassination methods they might use," Eunuch Hai asked curiously.

Zhao Du'an said seriously:

"Don't you think these two assassinations were too simple? Although they seemed to have opportunities to kill me, whether it was the poison strong enough to kill a Divine Seal realm expert, or this female assassin used as a suicide bomber… they were both costly, and only the top forces in Jianning Prefecture could arrange it so quickly… But…"

He said solemnly: "It's still too 'simple'. Wouldn't the perpetrators expect me to be extra cautious these days? Why are they in such a hurry to act? Can't they wait even a day?"

Eunuch Hai thought for a moment and said:

"Perhaps the other party guessed your thoughts and did the opposite, betting that you would relax your guard today."

"No, it doesn't make sense," Zhao Du'an frowned and shook his head:

"I believe that the other party wouldn't be stupid enough to think that this level of assassination could really hurt me… I'm not Ning Zechen…"

Suddenly, Zhao Du'an froze, and a flash of inspiration flashed through his mind.

He suddenly raised his head, his expression changed slightly:

"Not good, I know who their target is!"

… …

… …

On the streets late at night, Ning Zechen's carriage stopped outside the gate of the Grand Canal Yamen.

In the darkness of the night, the two lonely lamps at the yamen gate seemed a little desolate. The old gatekeeper of the yamen heard the movement, rubbed his eyes, got up to open the door, and said in surprise:

"Governor-General, you're back?"

"What are you talking about? Do I look like someone who stays out all night?" Governor-General Ning, who came from a humble background, spoke righteously.

The old gatekeeper dared not say anything, thinking that when the madam was not in the city, you didn't speak so firmly.

After opening the door, the carriage entered the courtyard and was pulled to the stable by the gatekeeper.

Ning Zechen walked into the back yamen, to the courtyard where he lived, and found that the lights in the house were still on, and the shadows of women were faintly imprinted on the windows.

Hearing the movement, Madam Ning got up and opened the door. Seeing her husband return, the quiet and dignified woman silently breathed a sigh of relief: "You're back?"

"Yes, I'm back."

"Where is Lord Zhao?"

"Staying at Jingyuan… Is our daughter asleep?"

"She's asleep."

The couple talked, and Madam Ning helped the Governor-General take off his outer robe and brought foot-washing water, making Ning Zechen feel flattered.

After talking for a while, Ning Zechen, on the pretext of reviewing some official documents, first let his wife go to the bedroom to sleep, while he put on a single coat and pondered the events that had happened today in the study:

Zhao Du'an arrested the Shen family… the arrival of the Prince of Jing's son… the poisoning in the food at Jingyuan tonight…

"How can they be so bold? Could it be that they want to rebel against the heavens? His Majesty will be arriving in Jiancheng Dao in not too long… How dare they at this juncture…"

Ning Zechen paced back and forth, unable to figure it out.

Suddenly, he heard the faint sound of tiles breaking in the courtyard.

He was stunned, and a warning sign arose in his heart. He randomly pulled out a sword from the weapon rack, pushed open the door, and walked out of the study.

In the courtyard, the night was as cool as water, and the starlight and moonlight shone down. Ning Zechen stood in the courtyard with his sword, looking around. Seeing that there was nothing unusual, he breathed a sigh of relief and mocked himself:

"Scaring myself…"

However, just as he was about to turn around and go back to the house, four assassins, integrated with the darkness, suddenly jumped out from the dark corners!

Silently, like poisonous snakes, lurking for a long time, only to launch a fatal blow at the moment the prey relaxes!

"Who is it?"

Ning Zechen suddenly turned around and slashed down with his sword, the blade colliding with an assassin's short knife with a "clang", knocking him back.

However, another dagger pierced into his back with a "poof".

Governor-General Ning felt a piercing pain, and the strength of his whole body seemed to be lost at this moment.

His eyes widened, he tried his best to wave his sword, forcing back another assassin on the side, and retreated a few steps, shouting loudly:

"There are assassins!!"