The First Lackey Under The Empress

The houses, scattered like stars in the sea of flowers, gave the fleeing monarch and his attendant the illusion of entering a paradise.

Soon, villagers, some tending the flower fields and others busy in their yards, curiously peered over.

Zhao Du'an drove and parked outside a courtyard at the village entrance. Stepping out, he heard barking from inside the yard, as well as a child calling for their mother.

A moment later, the yard gate opened, and a woman of about thirty looked out curiously.

Behind her was a little girl of six or seven, with a child's hairstyle, hiding behind the woman's legs, tilting her head and peering out with wide, curious eyes.

"Who are you looking for?" the woman asked, puzzled.

Zhao Du'an said politely:

"Excuse me, my wife and I are from Linfeng. We traveled south due to unforeseen circumstances and are now returning.

Because it's been unsafe lately, we didn't dare take the main road and are passing through this village, hoping to stay overnight. I wonder if it's convenient."

As he spoke, he took out a string of copper coins from his sleeve, indicating he wasn't freeloading.

The woman was taken aback, but when she saw a young woman indeed step out of the carriage, and considering the demeanor of the two, it was clear they weren't common folk but well-bred, certainly not villains.

The wariness in her eyes diminished, and she warmly opened the gate to welcome them:

"Since you're looking for lodging, please come in if you don't mind our humble home."

Tsk… people of this era are still so simple… unlike my past life, this kind of lodging is almost extinct… Zhao Du'an smiled.

Xu Zhenguan also smiled and thanked her. As she walked over, she quietly glared at him, resentfully saying:

"You're getting more and more practiced with this story."

Zhao Du'an smiled. It wasn't that he wanted to take advantage, but this combination of two people was best suited for posing as husband and wife when traveling.

Linfeng Road was close to the capital, with similar accents, making them less likely to be suspected.

The monarch and his attendant entered the meticulously clean farmhouse courtyard and sat down. The woman, who called herself 'Liu Wangshi,' served flower tea to welcome them.

During the conversation, Zhao Du'an learned that the head of the household was named Liu, and the little girl had a lovely name, 'Baihe' (Lily).

"You two have chosen the right path. The Huai River area is rampant with bandits these days. I heard that Prince Jing in the southeast and Prince Mu in the southwest have both led troops into the Huai River… The imperial army has to deal with both sides, and people say they probably won't last long… They say there are also people conscripting soldiers on the main roads."

Liu Wangshi was a bit restrained in front of the unusually refined monarch and his attendant, despite their ordinary attire, but she inexplicably felt a sense of goodwill and shared the local situation.

The troops of Prince Mu's mansion have also set out to enter the Huai River?

Zhao Du'an and the female emperor exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking.

This was a very bad sign, meaning that Prince Mu had also swallowed Yunfu Road in a very short time.

But unlike Jiancheng, Yunfu had the entire southwestern border army of the imperial court, led by Zhao Shixiong!

In other words, Prince Mu's northward advance meant that Zhao Shixiong's forces had not restrained him at all… Combined with the fact that Zhao Shixiong did not return to the capital last New Year's Eve, it was almost certain:

"The southwestern border army has rebelled!"

Zhao Du'an looked at the somewhat distracted female emperor, suddenly reached out, placed his hand on hers, and squeezed it.

Xu Zhenguan forced a smile and obediently did not break free.

Taking advantage of the Liu family mother and daughter's absence, Zhao Du'an whispered:

"Think of it positively, two tigers fighting are better than one tiger swallowing everything. Prince Jing and Prince Mu both want to seize the throne, and their troops must pass through the Huai River and enter Linfeng to reach the capital.

This means that the two sides will restrain each other, slowing each other down, which may buy the imperial court more reaction time."

Xu Zhenguan nodded worriedly:

"I know."

The two addressed each other as monarch and subject in private, but in front of outsiders, they would avoid certain terms.

At this moment, the Liu family mother and child returned, bringing with them a simple and honest farmer, who was the head of the household, Liu Qi.

Liu Qi, upon learning that there were guests seeking lodging, enthusiastically told his wife to kill chickens and geese to prepare a farmhouse feast, racking his brains for topics to chat with them about.

The gentle Liu Wangshi and the innocent 'Little Baihe' chimed in whenever they could.

This idyllic village, with its simple and friendly people, diluted the gloom in the hearts of the monarch and his attendant.

"Ah, I can tell at a glance that you, young master and young lady, must be from wealthy families. Now you've encountered war, and traveling outside at this time is probably dangerous," Liu Qi sighed after drinking some yellow wine.

Liu Wangshi also nodded, worried:

"If you two have relatives in the Huai River area, it's best to take refuge there for a while."

The monarch and his attendant smiled wryly and responded perfunctorily. The Liu family also knew their limits and didn't say much more.

…

Farmhouse dinners were eaten early. After dinner, the sun was still setting in the west. Liu Wangshi went to tidy up the side room, and Xu Zhenguan followed to help.

Zhao Du'an walked out of the courtyard to familiarize himself with the entire village. The yellow-haired little girl, nicknamed 'Baihe,' had become familiar with him after a meal, smiling and acting as his 'guide.'

She awkwardly introduced the village. Baihua Village wasn't too big or too small, with several dozen households.

Zhao Du'an listened with a smile, and after confirming that there were no local clan informants in the village, he looked towards the mountain behind the village.

At this time, the light of the setting sun just peeked out from between two mountain peaks, and Zhao Du'an suddenly narrowed his eyes and stopped.

"Little Baihe, is there anyone living on the mountain behind the village?"

He suddenly asked.

The innocent little girl tilted her head forty-five degrees and looked in the direction of his gaze, said "Oh," and said:

"No, there's only a ruined temple on the mountain."

The farm girl, with a slightly chubby face and sun-tanned skin, suddenly showed a fearful expression and whispered:

"The adults in the village all say that there are ghosts in that temple, and people who go in come out dazed, so they don't let me go."

Ghosts?

Zhao Du'an twitched the corner of his mouth, and his gaze towards the temple in the mountains behind the village became even more serious.

He was very sure that he had never been to this area, but for some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity with the scenery before him.

"It's as if… I've seen it before…"

"What is it? I've definitely seen it? Where? I've never been here…"

"Think carefully…"

Zhao Du'an stared intently at the corner of the temple building on the lush mountain behind the village in the setting sun. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration swept through his mind.

He remembered!

"Bewitching Taoist! I saw this temple in the memory of the Bewitching Taoist!"

Back then, the Bewitching Taoist entered the capital to kill people. Zhao Du'an used his massive memories from his previous life to counter the Taoist's magic, and he had "read" some of the Taoist's remaining memories.

Including the scene of him colluding with Zhuang Xiaocheng;

And also, before he entered the capital, he had entered a dilapidated temple, opened a secret room, and taken away some suppressing objects and magical instruments.

And at this moment, in his eyes, the ruined temple on the mountain behind Baihua Village perfectly overlapped with the vague scene in his memory.

"Is it just a simple similarity? Or… is the Bewitching Taoist's secret treasure trove hidden here?"

Thinking of the ghost stories in Little Baihe's mouth, Zhao Du'an held his breath and immediately returned to the Liu family.

"Are you sure?" In the side room, Xu Zhenguan also showed a look of astonishment after hearing him finish speaking.

"Not yet, so I'm going to take a look," Zhao Du'an said seriously:

"Your Majesty, your injuries haven't healed yet, and you need healing medicine. I'm also stuck in a bottleneck. If it really is that demon's treasure trove, the things inside will definitely help us!"

Xu Zhenguan's eyes also lit up, but then she worried:

"But if that demon is hiding there to recuperate, it's too dangerous for you to go rashly. Let's go together."

“No, Your Majesty should stay outside. I was able to kill him at his peak that day, and I'm even less afraid now.”

Zhao Du'an stopped Zhenbao, who wanted to go with him.

If it were other sorcerers, Zhao Du'an wouldn't be so confident, but if it's the Bewitching Master… hehe, it can only be said that a human-shaped tonic has come to my door again.

“But…”

“Has Your Majesty forgotten? At a crucial moment, I can still ask for the descent of Pei Niannu.” Zhao Du'an earnestly reminded.

The Empress reluctantly nodded:

“If you don't return after a long time, I'll go and support you. Oh, right, take the Tai'a Sword with you.”

Zhao Du'an didn't decline, and mocked himself:

“Perhaps I'm mistaken. How could it be such a coincidence? That we would run into this while fleeing?”

Xu Zhenguan pondered for a moment, then suddenly shook her head:

“No, perhaps it's not luck, but destiny. The reason I chose that day for the Fengshan ceremony was because the Fengshan day was the brightest day for my natal star this year, and my fortune was the best. Unfortunately, someone forcibly changed my fortune with 'Lost Divinity', altering it to a low point…

But this kind of alteration is not without a price. In addition to the caster being inevitably affected by the backlash, the 'fortune' that I was initially covered up will gradually recover… And I am the Son of Heaven, and my fortune is equivalent to the nation's fortune, which is much stronger than ordinary people.”

Zhao Du'an was stunned:

“Is Your Majesty saying that our encounter with this temple may not be a coincidence, but rather the luck that was reversed by the Lost Divinity that day has accumulated and is now erupting?”

“It's possible, which is why we were able to escape smoothly. However, the influence of fortune is ultimately limited, and success depends on human effort. Good luck is always accompanied by bad luck.” Xu Zhenguan hesitated:

“In any case, be careful.”

The word "fortune" was too mysterious.

But Zhao Du'an, who had personally experienced the Seven-Day Curse Kill, didn't dare to take it lightly.

After the two discussed, they silently waited for nightfall.

As the sun set, Zhao Du'an quietly climbed out of the window, drifting like smoke, like a ghost, and rushed towards the back mountain.

...

The temple in the back mountain was not close to Hundred Flowers Village, but with Zhao Du'an's current cultivation, he traveled at full speed, and soon stepped onto the dilapidated mountain path and arrived outside the deserted temple.

A round moon hung high in the sky, emitting a cold, mirror-like light.

Zhao Du'an raised his head and saw that the memorial archway outside the temple was broken, with no name, leaving only a faint "Three" character.

“If it's really a treasure trove, the so-called 'ghost' is probably some kind of illusion arranged here by the Bewitching Master to prevent mortals from entering.”

Zhao Du'an pondered slightly, reached into his bosom, and poured out a stack of talisman papers from the scroll space. These were also applied for from the yamen before heading south.

“Let me find it… The spell to see through the formation is… Heavenly Eye Talisman, this one.”

He took out a talisman paper from the stack, infused it with Qi and ignited it, and smeared the burning talisman on his brow.

Suddenly, his eyes pierced out with a bright blue light in the dark night, just like when the Empress opened the Heavenly Eye for him on the Tianzi Tower to observe the gods of heaven and earth.

“I guessed right!”

Under the Heavenly Eye, Zhao Du'an quickly discovered that this dilapidated temple was indeed arranged with a maze formation, but there was no killing formation.

“That's right, if you kill people, it's easy to attract the attention of the government. A maze formation is enough.”

Zhao Du'an jumped, leaped to the southeast corner of the dilapidated temple, and slapped a stone pier, revealing a silver bowl buried inside.

After taking the silver bowl, the formation was immediately broken and lost its effect.

Following his memory, Zhao Du'an stepped into the temple and stopped behind a Buddha niche. He tried to grope and move the hidden "mechanism" behind the Buddha niche.

“Zha zha zha—”

One side of the wall suddenly cracked open, accompanied by the sound of gears and chains rubbing, and a secret passage opened!

“I didn't find the wrong place!”

Zhao Du'an's eyes lit up, and he took out another "Illumination Talisman", and stuck it on the top of his head. The cinnabar on the talisman lit up, like a flashlight, tearing through the darkness and illuminating the way forward.

He held the Tai'a Sword and stepped into the secret room along the steps.

No one!

Only a secret room, identical to the one in his memory, appeared before his eyes!

As he entered, the beads embedded in the walls of the secret room lit up one after another. On the rows of wooden shelves, the most conspicuous were a pile of gold, silver, and jade artifacts, as well as books.

Various objects were piled on the ground, looking extraordinary.

In the open boxes on the ground were bottles containing pills, and on the walls hung armor and weapons that looked extraordinary.

However, after careful comparison, he found that the items in the secret room were nearly half less than in his memory!

Especially the pills in the boxes and the things suspected to be fetishes on the shelves were reduced the most!

“It seems that the Bewitching Master is indeed not dead. After I counter-killed him, this guy probably recovered from his serious injuries again, and then came here to take away a lot of things. Damn it, they should all be mine…”

Zhao Du'an clicked his tongue, but thinking that it might be better to fatten up the evil Taoist before killing him, he wasn't angry.

“I don't recognize many things, but Zhenbao is knowledgeable and must recognize them.”

Zhao Du'an was not polite, like a mouse burrowing into a treasure mountain, picking out the precious ones and stuffing them into the scroll space, especially the pills, completely emptying them!

His movements were nimble, almost like a whirlwind.

After a while, the treasure trove was swept clean, leaving only a small number of things that were not of high value and took up space.

“The evil Taoist is a good person. I've consumed too much on this escape. Thank you, old iron Bewitching, for sending the airdrop.” Zhao Du'an was a little touched.

He rushed to send himself soul power, and now he offers a treasure trove. If someone said that the old Taoist was actually a spy sent by the imperial court, he would believe it.

“Righteous!”

Zhao Du'an explored the secret room again, still feeling unsatisfied, and suddenly found that there was a hidden secret door inside.

“Squeak—”

Pushing open the secret door, it suddenly opened up, and in front of him was a small courtyard with four walls blocking it!

“What is this…”

The courtyard was very small, with only a pool in the middle, bubbling with warm spring water, and in one corner of the square pool was a small tree with black and white colors intertwined.

The leaves of the tree were like jade, with a fiery red color flowing between them.

Zhao Du'an was stunned, and suddenly recalled the piece of jade leaf that the evil Taoist took from the treasure trove that was enough to resist the attack of the gods.

“According to Pei Niannu, that is Kunshan Jade… So, is this tree also some kind of natural treasure?”

...

In the Liu family's small house in Hundred Flowers Village.

Xu Zhenguan sat in the厢房 (xiāngfáng - wing room), pacing back and forth anxiously. The candlestick on the table swayed with orange flames, reflecting her shadow on the wall.

The Empress's face could not hide her worry. Suddenly, she turned her head to look at the backyard. As the window was opened, Zhao Du'an leaped in.

“How is it?”

Xu Zhenguan first looked him up and down, and was relieved to see that he was not injured, and then asked.

Zhao Du'an pulled off the black cloth covering his face, walked to the table, picked up the teapot and gulped down a bellyful of water, and then with bright eyes, placed the silver scroll on the table:

“A full load…”

He quickly narrated his experience of taking the treasure. Xu Zhenguan listened in a daze, looking at the various pills, magical instruments, and strange objects piled on the table, her eyes were both delighted and strange.

“Unfortunately… that tree is rooted in the spring water, so it's not easy to get it out.” Zhao Du'an said with regret, and talked about the black and white double tree.

After listening, the Empress's eyes suddenly lit up: “Black and white double tree?”

“Does Your Majesty know this thing?” Zhao Du'an asked curiously.

Xu Zhenguan's eyes showed a rare joy that she had shown along the way. She took a deep look at the confused Zhao Du'an and said:

“The opportunity for you to advance to the Worldly Realm has come!”