The First Lackey Under The Empress

The setting sun cast its rays westward.

On a dirt road within the territory of the Huai River, a gray donkey snorted, swishing its tail, leisurely dragging a flatbed cart laden with thick straw.

The leather collar around the donkey's neck had rubbed the hair off in a circle, and the copper bell attached to it jingled softly.

Zhao Du'an, wearing a straw hat and cracking a whip, looked like a rustic peasant, while behind him, on the straw piled on the cart, sat the only female emperor of the Great Yu Dynasty in six hundred years.

"…So, at the critical moment, Eunuch Hai appeared with his men and blocked the pursuers, allowing this subject to escape," Zhao Du'an recounted in a low voice, his face etched with bitterness:

"This subject should have rendezvoused with Your Majesty before noon, but… this subject accidentally got lost in the mountains, went the wrong way, and had no choice but to make a large detour before catching up.

Along the way, I passed through a small town, and this subject thought of buying a carriage to speed up the journey, but couldn't find one, so I had to spend some silver to get a donkey cart."

Xu Zhenguan, dressed in men's clothing, sat on the donkey cart with a smile on her lips, showing no sign of displeasure.

Listening to Zhao Du'an's story of fleeing through the forest, her palms secretly clenched with cold sweat. Upon learning that Hai Chunlin had arrived and Zhao Du'an had gotten lost, she couldn't help but giggle.

"In that case, it seems that it was a wise decision for me to wait a while longer," she said with a smile, not without a hint of smugness.

As if squatting under the base of a wall for a whole day was a glorious and brilliant decision.

Zhao Du'an cheerfully played along:

"Your Majesty is wise and divine, blessed with boundless fortune. It's also thanks to Eunuch Hai and the others holding them back that we can catch our breath. Next, entering the Huai River area will likely reduce the pressure by a lot."

Xu Zhenguan earnestly cautioned him, urging him to avoid arrogance and rashness:

"The Prince of Huai'an may not search for me, but the many local clans along the Huai River are probably already colluding with the Prince of Jing, Prince Mu, and others. We still cannot be careless and must be wary of these clans, lest they inform the rebel army."

"This subject understands," Zhao Du'an nodded. He was certainly not foolish enough to think that entering the Huai River area would guarantee safety.

At most, the pressure of fleeing would be slightly less.

Moreover, there was one thing that the monarch and her subject tacitly avoided mentioning:

If the Eight Princes had already rebelled, would the "Li Faction" officials remaining in the capital still be obedient? Li Yanfu was likely to become the most unstable bomb in the capital.

However, the capital still had Yuan Li, Xue Shence, and other "Royal Faction" members to maintain balance, so it wouldn't descend into chaos for the time being.

The setting sun gradually faded, and the dark night, like ink, stained the sky.

Xu Zhenguan suddenly said:

"The journey is long, and the dangers of today will not be few. Next time, you are not allowed to rashly leave me behind and venture into danger on your own."

Zhao Du'an didn't turn his head, driving the donkey cart, and said calmly and earnestly:

"Alright."

After a pause, he added:

"However, if that day really comes, this subject will definitely die before Your Majesty."

The female emperor was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked:

"Why?"

Zhao Du'an smiled:

"Your Majesty is the ruler, and I am your subject. Isn't that the natural order of things?"

The female emperor's silence lasted longer than usual. Just as heaven and earth were completely plunged into darkness, she sat in the back of the donkey cart and softly said:

"Is it only the relationship between ruler and subject?"

Unfortunately, her voice was too soft, almost a whisper, drowned out by the long bray of the donkey, and Zhao Du'an didn't hear her clearly.

…

…

Within the Jiancheng Circuit, there is a large Buddhist temple named "Hanshan."

A few days ago, the Prajna Bodhisattva from the main altar of the Divine Dragon Temple in the capital ascended the mountain alone to take over the assets left behind by the "Great Pure Master" who had defected to the Western Regions.

Hundreds of monks in the temple respectfully welcomed the Bodhisattva.

The old nun stayed in the temple, dealing with the accumulated affairs one by one.

When the news of the changes during the Fengchan Grand Ceremony at Mount Luo, the disappearance of the female emperor and Zhao Du'an, and the rebellion launched by the Prince of Jing reached the temple,

the Prajna Bodhisattva could not hide her shock, and immediately announced the closure of the temple, prohibiting the monks within the Jiancheng Circuit from going down the mountain, doing her best to protect themselves.

She was not yet aware of the unsavory role that Xuan Yin played in this matter, but instinct and logic made her aware of a great unease.

On this day, as the Bodhisattva was feeding the golden carp in a tank in front of a water vat in Hanshan Temple, she learned that the Prince of Jing, Xu Wen, had personally ascended the mountain to visit.

"Prince Jing, why do you grace this humble temple with your presence?"

The Prajna Bodhisattva, wearing a nun's robe, her hair loose, holding a jade bottle in one hand, her figure plump and fair, looked at the group of uninvited guests entering the inner courtyard with slight vigilance.

The Prince of Jing, Xu Wen, was actually in military attire!

Wearing brand-new armor, a sword hanging from his waist, looking like a great general about to go on an expedition, followed by a team of strongmen from the army.

"Hahaha… What, is the Bodhisattva not welcoming this prince? Or does she think that worldly people like this prince should not defile this sacred place?"

Prince Jing's face was radiant, he laughed loudly, and there was a hint of arrogance in his eyes!

The favorable geographical location and popular support that he had painstakingly cultivated for many years, coupled with the empress's disappearance, made Prince Jing's annexation of Jiancheng Circuit extremely smooth!

He encountered very little resistance and took over the circuit in the name of "entering the capital" to serve the emperor.

In recent days, most of his energy has been spent on "digesting" the territory. However, Xu Wen is clear that he is not the only one competing.

Therefore, although still in a hurry, he still prepared to personally lead troops north. Before leaving, he came to Hanshan Temple.

"Your Highness is joking. It's just that my Divine Dragon Temple has never participated in the struggle for imperial power."

The Prajna Bodhisattva's expression was calm, her almost transparent eyes staring at him:

"Or is Your Highness here to seek personal revenge? Because this poor nun traveled with Zhao Shaobao a few days ago?"

Prince Jing laughed again and waved his hand:

"The Bodhisattva is joking! The Bodhisattva has never been an enemy of this prince, so why would I be angry at your temple because of such a trivial matter?

This time, I came uninvited, firstly to burn incense in the Buddhist temple before the expedition, to pray for good luck;

and secondly, everyone in the world knows that the Prajna Bodhisattva practices the Medicine Buddha and can save all living beings…

This prince is going north all the way, and the soldiers under his command will inevitably be injured. If the Bodhisattva is willing to travel with this prince and lend a helping hand, this prince can promise to help the Bodhisattva go further. What do you say?"

So, you value my healing powers… Prajna's expression did not waver, she put her hands together:

"Amitabha, there is killing and bloodshed in the war between the two armies. This poor nun is weak and has little influence. I only wish to stay in this Hanshan Temple to recite scriptures and worship Buddha, and have no intention of going on an expedition."

"Is that so…"

Prince Jing looked regretful and persuaded her several times. Seeing that Prajna insisted, he smiled:

"In that case, this prince will not force it, and will take his leave. Bodhisattva, rest assured, this prince has already instructed the people below not to clash with all the Buddhist temples, large and small, within the Jiancheng Circuit."

Prajna bowed slightly: "Thank you, Your Highness. This poor nun will see Your Highness off the mountain."

A monk and a powerful figure exchanged greetings at the mountain gate.

After Prince Jing burned a stick of incense, he bid farewell and went down the mountain.

Walking on the mountain road, a trusted lieutenant of the private army beside him said:

"Your Highness, this woman is so disrespectful to you, should we…"

Prince Jing's smile faded, he shook his head, and snorted coldly:

"The old nun doesn't know how to appreciate favors… but after all, she is from the Divine Dragon Temple lineage, don't provoke her."

Even if Prajna and Xuan Yin have differences, in the final analysis, they both come from the same sect.

Prince Jing has secretly allied with Xuan Yin, and it is impossible to displease Xuan Yin at this juncture and suppress the Divine Dragon Temple.

"It's a pity that Xuan Yin is unwilling to openly take sides, perhaps because he is concerned about the reputation of Buddhism, or perhaps because Zhang Yan is watching him too closely, and he has always refused to leave the capital. Before the Fengchan ceremony, he was only willing to send the Dharma God to help."

Xu Wen frowned secretly in his heart.

He did not know that "Dharma God" was the truth of "Xuan Yin's" avatar.

He only thought that Dharma God was an extremely powerful master raised by the Divine Dragon Temple in the Jianghu world.

Before this, the Divine Dragon Temple also used the Jianghu force of the Dharma God Sect to secretly contact several of the Eight Princes who were more favored.

Yes!

Abbot Xuan Yin was simultaneously betting on several of the Eight Princes, not just helping him, Xu Wen!

Therefore, he dared not offend the Divine Dragon Temple even more, there was no need to take the risk.

"Your Highness, what if this nun secretly aids the false emperor and the one surnamed Zhao?" Another trusted aide whispered.

Not long ago, the news that Zhao Du'an and the female emperor's whereabouts had been exposed and they had fled into the Huai River Circuit had reached Prince Jing's ears.

The information about Eunuch Hai personally leading people to block Ouyang Ye, resulting in the failure of the capture, was recorded in great detail.

"So send people to keep an eye on Hanshan Temple, and go in to take a look from time to time to see if the old nun is there. As long as she doesn't wander around, there's no need to worry about her."

Prince Jing said indifferently:

"As for the escaped monarch and her subject… Hmph, do they really think that they can return to the capital alive with just the two of them? Hai Chunlin and the others can block this prince's people, but they cannot block the people coming south from the north."

According to the plan, if the female emperor had died directly on Mount Luo,

then the Divine Dragon Temple would have stayed out of the affair and no longer participated in the struggle.

But the female emperor didn't die… she's still alive, and this has become a huge hidden danger. With the female emperor's intelligence, she will definitely be able to guess that Xuan Yin made a move.

In this way, Abbot Xuan Yin had to continue his efforts to ensure that the Empress could not return to the capital.

And with the Empress not dead, the previous entrustment was still valid, Zhang Yan would stare at Xuan Yin until his death, ensuring that those in the Celestial Realm would not intervene again.

Wu Xian Kui, that martial artist whose brain had become inexplicably muddled from practicing martial arts, had only agreed to take action once.

At a critical moment, he even punched the Archmage, making him completely unreliable.

So…

Prince Jing had learned through magical means that Shenlong Temple had secretly dispatched a team southward to besiege the Empress.

“In this way, this Prince's men will move from south to north, and the men from Shenlong Temple will move from north to south, attacking from both sides, she will have no way to escape!”

Prince Jing sneered, raised his hand to lift the scarlet cloak behind his armor, and strode towards the neatly arrayed, dark and vast armored army guarding the foot of Cold Mountain Temple.

“If the Yu Kingdom is to prosper, if the ancestral foundation is to last, how can we entrust the great country to a woman? Once she gives birth to some offspring, and then passes the throne down, will this country be surnamed Xu or Zhao? To perish the nation and steal the seed, deserves death!”

Prince Jing turned over and mounted his horse, tugged at the reins, turned his head to look at Chang'an, his eyes burning with fervor:

“This world should be surnamed Xu, for all eternity! It must not be lost!”

Inside Cold Mountain Temple.

“Bodhisattva, the army down the mountain has left.”

A monk pushed open the door and said to the Bodhisattva, who was facing away from him.

“Understood.” Prajna spoke softly, lowering her eyes to look at the large water tank in front of her.

A lotus flower was planted in the water tank, lotus leaves covered half the tank, and a fiery red dragon fish swam underneath.

Folk legends say that when the dragon fish appears, heroes will vie for supremacy.

“A troubled time. What a pity for that excellent furnace cauldron…” Prajna Bodhisattva murmured, seemingly still thinking about Zhao Du'an.

She immediately shook her head, not believing that Zhao Du'an, who had lost the Empress as his backing, could still survive.

“Also… Xuan Yin… Did you participate in it?”

Prajna looked down at the water tank, the clear water rippling, vaguely seeming to reveal a scene of the capital.

The old nun frowned, she wanted to return to the capital immediately, but she knew that Prince Jing would not allow her to go north.

“I wonder how things are in the nunnery in the capital.”

… …

Capital City.

In this era where letters travel slowly, the transmission of news is always very slow.

However, due to various magical means, the news of the Empress's disappearance and the Eight Kings raising their armies was still learned by a small number of people within a few days.

On this day, Dharma Master Bianji knocked on the gate of the Jizhao Nunnery.

He found Princess Yunyang by the pond in the small courtyard where Prajna lived.

After Prajna left, no one in the nunnery could suppress this Eldest Princess, although she was still under "house arrest" and unable to go out.

But within the nunnery, she moved freely, and no one dared to restrain her.

So, the Eldest Princess, who was almost driven mad, took over Prajna's residence as her own.

At this moment, she had changed into a long red dress, sat barefoot by the pond, soaking her jade feet in the water.

“Master, you've come!”

Princess Yunyang's eyes lit up, she stood up, stepped on a stone, and looked at Bianji, whose lips were red and teeth white, and who was pleasing to the eye.

Dharma Master Bianji put his hands together and said faintly: “This humble monk has come to inform Your Highness of a piece of news.”

“What?”

“Your Majesty's Fengshan ceremony failed, she was seriously injured and disappeared, and the Eight Kings have raised their armies. Now, troops from all sides are heading towards the capital.” Bianji said with emotion.

“What!”

Princess Yunyang was shocked, grabbed Bianji, and questioned him carefully. After learning the detailed information, she cried and laughed for a while, her heart was like an overturned bottle of mixed flavors, she didn't know whether she felt more joy or pain.

When Xu Zhenguan was around, she only felt resentment towards this niece. This year of house arrest had turned her resentment into hatred.

But when she learned that her own niece might really die, a pang of sadness and emptiness surged in her heart, as if she had suddenly lost the target of her hatred.

Princess Yunyang stood blankly, and after a long time, as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw, she grabbed Bianji's sleeve, forcibly pulled his hand over, pressed it against her chest, and begged:

“Master, it hurts so much here, it hurts so much.”

Bianji's eyes were compassionate: “Amitabha.”

Suddenly, a sentence from the Buddhist scriptures he often read floated into his mind:

To save oneself, first save others.

“Your Highness, why not go to the meditation room, and this humble monk will untie the knot in your heart for you.”

… …

… …

The carriage drove along the long official road and entered Hundred Flowers Village.

Every year in midsummer, it is the most beautiful season for Hundred Flowers Village, which is located on the Huai River and is famous far and wide.

At that time, the sunlight crossing the equator will evenly sprinkle on this village hidden among green hills and clear waters. The flowers planted by the farmers, originating from all over the world, will bloom one after another, vying for beauty and splendor. When the fragrance of the flowers is at its strongest, it can drift for ten miles.

The villagers living in Hundred Flowers Village are no different from the households who have lived in the royal gardens for generations. Their names are recorded on the official craftsman registry.

Generation after generation, they plant flowers for the royal family.

The mature flowers will be planted in flower pots, loaded onto ox carts in batches, and sent thousands of miles to the capital in the north.

They will appear at banquets in the palace, fill the gaps in the imperial garden, circulate deep within the residences of the nobles in the capital, and be sought after by noble ladies, even giving rise to recreational activities such as the "Flower Competition".

Zhao Du'an drove the carriage that he had managed to purchase along the way, carrying the Empress. The two of them changed their appearances and entered Hundred Flowers Village.

The carriage traveled on the dirt road in the countryside. On both sides of the road were almost endless seas of flowers, and a strong fragrance filled the air.

In the flower bushes, large groups of pink butterflies were entangled and dancing.

“Your Majesty, according to the map, passing through Hundred Flowers Village is a relatively safe route. This area can barely be considered a royal property, which can avoid the eyes of the local gentry as much as possible.”

Zhao Du'an wore a straw hat and looked around vigilantly, speaking.

Quite a few days had passed since they escaped from Jiancheng Road, and along the way, they had successively encountered no less than dozens of enemy pursuits.

A considerable part of them originated from the local clan forces in Huai River Road.

As expected, after the Prince of Huai'an closed his doors, the entire Huai River Road became a stage for the major gentry families.

These families with deep foundations have dense eyes in the local area. At the same time, they also secretly raise martial artists from the Jianghu.

Although Zhao Du'an was not afraid of most family thugs, he was worried about exposing his whereabouts and attracting the attention of the hidden experts who were chasing him.

Therefore, he passively responded along the way, and inevitably suffered injuries.

Fortunately, he did not fall into a life-or-death crisis. Several dangers also seemed to be resolved by the offerings following behind.

Even so, after this journey, he had lost a lot of weight, and his skin had become much darker.

However, his eyes were bright and energetic, and within his Qi Sea, the Qi was majestic and full, and there was a faint sound of mountains and seas roaring when he breathed.

He had a premonition that he was approaching the peak of the Divine Seal Realm, and was getting closer and closer to the Worldly Realm.

“Okay, then let's stay overnight in Hundred Flowers Village. Let's not stay too long, lest our identities attract pursuers and cause trouble for these Yu Kingdom citizens.”

Inside the carriage, Xu Zhenguan opened the curtains, looked at the colorful sea of flowers outside, and her tense heartstrings relaxed slightly.

She had changed her appearance with a mask, and now she only looked like a pretty woman, wearing an ordinary woman's Ru skirt, and no longer disguised as a man - that would easily arouse suspicion.

Now, to outsiders, the monarch and her subject looked like a young couple traveling on the road.

As for the injuries…

Xu Zhenguan constantly adjusted her breathing along the way, and the "palm force" left by Xuan Yin in her body finally gradually subsided. Although there was still some remaining, there was not much left.

Unfortunately, due to the existence of this palm force, her internal injuries recovered extremely slowly.

Although she can now move freely, her strength can barely touch the initial stage of the Divine Seal, and it cannot be sustained.

Once she runs her Qi, it will aggravate her internal injuries… Not to mention returning to her peak, it will still take some time to recover to the "Worldly" Realm.

And along this way, the scenes of local areas falling and government offices being captured by rebel armies that she witnessed with her own eyes had already made her anxious.

“Your Majesty, please rest assured, at least the Huai River has not been completely captured by the rebel army, has it?

Further north, Linfeng Road must still be in the hands of the imperial court. The west and north both have border troops stationed there, and the Qingzhou King in the east is too weak, and the Jing Camp is enough to deal with him.”

Zhao Du'an comforted softly.

The Empress nodded and smiled: “You're right, I'm just impatient.”

At this time, the carriage drove into Hundred Flowers Village, and buildings appeared in front, like a world in a fairy tale.