The First Lackey Under The Empress

"So, the next step is to return to the capital and stabilize the situation?"

In the courtyard, the wind rustled the large sheets hanging on the clothesline. Zhao Du'an sat on a stone stool, raising his eyebrows.

Xu Zhenguan sat opposite him. At that moment, she put down her teacup with her slender fingers and nodded, saying, "That's the best outcome."

Zhao Du'an wasn't surprised, because to a certain extent, the current situation was within his expectations.

According to the original plan, the Empress would successfully perform the Fengshan ceremony, which would allow her to calmly deal with the 'martial arts competition' that was supposed to happen 'next year'.

It would also deter the Eight Kings, and most likely make them give up resistance and accept the reduction of their fiefs, resolving the hidden dangers in a gentle way.

However, the failure of the Fengshan ceremony and the Eight Kings vying for power should have ushered in a new chapter of competition for the new emperor, and Shenlong Temple also successfully laid out its plans.

But unexpectedly, the Empress ascended to the Celestial Realm again against all reason, leading to a series of chain reactions.

Now, the experts under Xuan Yin have suffered heavy losses, the main altar of Shenlong Temple is also about to be destroyed, and the Eight Kings are caught in a dilemma, forced to continue their rebellion with no way out.

As for Xu Zhenguan, although she successfully advanced, when she looked around, she saw war raging everywhere and the situation was disastrous.

It can be said that in this game of chess in Yu Country, none of the parties have achieved their goals, and there is no way out. They can only go all the way to the end, fighting for victory or defeat under a fragile balance.

"With Your Majesty's current cultivation, it won't be difficult to stabilize the situation after returning to the capital. The Eight Kings' original plan to rush into the capital has failed. It's highly likely that they will form alliances with each other and switch to a new strategy of dividing up the local areas," Zhao Du'an analyzed calmly.

With Zhenbao sitting in the capital, anyone among the Eight Kings who attacks the capital will face death.

After all, when it comes to life and death, the so-called agreement naturally doesn't count.

Therefore, the best strategy for the Eight Kings is to 'besiege without attacking', forming alliances with each other to devour the various territories of Yu Country and divide them among themselves.

Once the imperial court is left with only a lonely piece of land, they only need to jointly block the entry and exit of supplies, and the capital will fall without being attacked.

At that time, the Empress will exist in name only.

Perhaps without fighting, the imperial court will be demoralized, and everyone from top to bottom will lose the will to resist, similar to the Three Kingdoms era, the last emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Xian of Han.

In that situation, Zhenbao won't be able to withstand the pressure from the ministers, and may take the initiative to abdicate and yield the throne to a virtuous person.

Or, even if they are in a stalemate and the throne exists in name only, to a certain extent, the Eight Kings will have won.

Similarly, Zhao Du'an suspects that if the imperial court successfully defeats the rebel armies in the upcoming war and completely determines the outcome, the old bald donkey Xuan Yin might still tear up the agreement.

But at least for now, when both sides have a chance of winning, no one wants to directly overturn the chessboard… because that would be a complete loss for both sides.

"Yes, so the most urgent task is to return to the capital first and stabilize the situation. Only when I am still there will the local areas have the will to resist. The reason why many places are surrendering is largely because the capital is without a leader."

Xu Zhenguan nodded, her tone serious, and then turned to worry:

"Moreover, I suspect that after so long, changes may have already occurred in the capital."

Changes? Yes, often a city is not breached from the outside, but collapses from within.

With the military strength of the capital, it is impossible for the rebel army to capture it in a short time, but if there are problems internally, it is hard to say.

"If that's the case, then there's no need to waste time. We should set off immediately," Zhao Du'an stood up, then patted his head and said:

"There are still some spoils of war here. My painting scroll can't hold them anymore. Your Majesty, please help store some of them."

As he spoke, he pulled out a cloth bag from nearby, filled with various weapons and magical artifacts… all obtained by looting corpses.

This is a harvest!

Xu Zhenguan raised her eyebrows and smiled: "Do you like these?"

As soon as she finished speaking, her fair hand gently swept across the ground, and with a flash of light, a pile of various magical artifacts, weapons, elixirs, and talismans appeared on the ground…

Hiss… Are these all newly seized? Are there so many enemies blocked by the disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion outside?

Speaking of which… After returning to the capital, I have to personally thank Old Zhang. Basic etiquette cannot be lost…

And, Old Zhang is so generous? He specially sent people to rescue me. I always feel like he has an ulterior motive… Zhao Du'an was both surprised and delighted, rubbing his hands like a fly.

Xu Zhenguan glanced at the "Imperial Consort" as if he had never seen the world, and reminded him:

"I want to give you all of these. But I must remind you, be careful of being greedy. You don't need too many miscellaneous magical artifacts, or martial arts techniques and spells right now. The correct approach is to be focused and single-minded."

Zhao Du'an immediately calmed down and nodded seriously:

"Your Majesty is right."

Previously, when he fought with Tianhai, he defeated him gracefully. It seemed easy, but in fact, in a short period of time, he simultaneously supported his own and Pei Niannu's consumption, and his internal energy was greatly depleted.

In other words, his current strength lies in the combination of martial arts and spells, and the destructive power he can unleash in a short period of time is astonishing, exceeding that of his peers.

The flaw is that it doesn't last long and he can't fight a prolonged battle.

"With Pei Niannu's existence, I only need to collect trấn vật for her to use, and I can concentrate on martial arts. But every time I use Pei Niannu, my body will be drained…"

Zhao Du'an pondered:

"So, what I should pursue is a short burst of power, rather than mastering more methods. Zhenbao reminded me to avoid being greedy and distracted, and to be focused and single-minded, which is the reason."

Seeing him pondering, Xu Zhenguan continued:

"After stabilizing the situation in the capital, I will take you to see the next scene of the Martial God Diagram."

The third scroll after 《Martial God Diagram》 and 《Six Chapters Classic》? Zhao Du'an asked curiously: "What is that?"

Xu Zhenguan smiled and didn't explain:

"It's hard to describe in a few words. Once you've seen it, you'll naturally know."

Zhao Du'an was stunned, and became even more curious about the third scroll left by Old Xu.

However, the top priority is to return to the capital as soon as possible. Zhao Du'an got up to pack his luggage, and looked up at this mansion where every corner was left with traces of the battle between the two, and he felt a little reluctant for a moment.

Xu Zhenguan spun her teacup and asked suddenly:

"By the way, what is your relationship with Zhang Yan Yi? He's helping you so much. You wouldn't be secretly colluding with the Celestial Master's Mansion behind my back, would you?"

Cold sweat broke out on Zhao Du'an's forehead. He turned around to meet the Empress's smiling eyes and squeezed out a stiff smile:

"Your Majesty, let me explain…"

… …

… …

Huai River waterway.

Near a pier, the heavily armed "Jiancheng Army" was densely packed, extremely oppressive.

Prince Jing, Xu Wen, walked out of a house on the pier, his face gloomy.

He was not wearing armor, but a rather noble purple robe. A general under his command stood outside the door, cupping his hands and saying:

"Reporting, Your Highness, the remnants of the Fengshan ceremony last appeared here. Unfortunately, they have already moved and we were unable to capture them."

Prince Jing nodded, not surprised.

The so-called "remnants of the Fengshan ceremony" naturally refer to Mo Chou, Sun Lianying and his party.

"There are experts guarding these people, and they can also mobilize the local Shadow Guards along the way, making it indeed difficult to catch them," Prince Jing said softly, with a hint of regret in his eyes:

"Unfortunately, if I had known that these stray dogs could cause so much trouble, I should have paid the price and left them in Jiancheng Dao from the beginning."

Not long ago, the ship Prince Jing was on was forced to dock ahead of schedule due to a pile of sunken ships blocking the narrow waterway of the canal.

Therefore, the progress of the army's northward journey was hindered, and the reason for this was the work of Ning Zechen, the governor of the canal transport.

"Blocking the waterway by sinking ships is indeed a ruthless character, but unfortunately, this kind of person cannot be used by this Prince," Prince Jing said with a slight regret.

Beside him, the heir Xu Jinglong said diligently:

"Father, there is no need to blame yourself. At that time, the false Emperor was on the run, and you sent all the experts to hunt her down, which was not enough. You had no time to pay attention to this group of small fries, which was also a wise move. A little obstacle is not worth mentioning compared to the great cause."

Prince Jing's expression softened slightly, and the corners of his lips turned up:

"Now the five rebel kings are heading to the capital, all thinking that the one who attacks the capital first can seize the opportunity, but that is not the case. Xue Shence is sitting in the capital, commanding the capital's army. Anyone who goes there will find it difficult to take down by force. Only by cooperating from the inside and outside can the city be broken."

After a pause, he said: "At this time, the Li family should have entered the capital, right?"

Xu Jinglong smiled and said: "It should be in these few days."

Prince Jing nodded slightly:

"As long as it succeeds, the capital will not fall into the hands of others. We only need to be steady and steady, and we can reach the top."

Xu Jinglong said: "It's just a pity that King Mu of Yunfu used methods to contain us, slowing down our march. This time, taking the land route will be much slower and more difficult."

King Mu… Xu Wen snorted coldly. Among the kings, King of Huaian and King of Lingnan are not worth worrying about, King Chen has no ambition, King Heng of Qingzhou has empty ambitions and is actually a straw bag, and the two kings of Yanshan and Hejian are restrained by the border army.

Only King Mu of Yunfu poses a threat to him. Apart from that, only the whereabouts of the unknown Empress is still a major concern.

"Now that we have joined forces to start the army, King Mu is still an ally before the imperial court falls. The most important thing right now is still the Empress," Xu Wen said.

As soon as he finished speaking.

Outside the pier, behind the dense soldiers, came the sound of horns and the rapid sound of horses' hooves.

That was the horn of urgent military intelligence.

Prince Jing and his son's spirits lifted, and they turned to look back, only to see the dark mass of soldiers carrying the Jiancheng army flag, parting a small path like ink-colored sea water, splitting to the left and right.

A rider spurred his horse and whipped it, dismounted, and rushed forward. The cavalryman knelt on one knee, holding a military intelligence report above his head with both hands: "Reporting to the Prince, urgent secret report!"

Could it be… that the operation to hunt down the Empress has yielded results?

Prince Jing's eyes lit up, and he snatched the envelope, tearing it open eagerly. A secret report, densely packed with writing, came into view.

Xu Jinglong curiously observed, his heart sinking.

He saw Prince Jing's face suddenly turn pale, then turn gloomy. His tall body staggered slightly, as if struck by lightning.

"Father!"

"Your Highness!"

A group of rebel confidants around him were shocked and rushed forward to support him.

Prince Jing bit his lip tightly, took a deep breath, and his expression returned to normal, as if he had just lost his footing. He coldly surveyed the crowd.

After confirming that his gaffe had not attracted the attention of more soldiers nearby, he squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth:

"Return to camp with me!"

As the commander, he must not publicly lose his composure and shake the morale of the army.

… …

The group returned to a large camp nearby. The moment Xu Wen stepped into the tent, he suddenly staggered, clutching his chest, and spat out a mouthful of blood!

"Father!" Xu Jinglong was stunned, and the core officials of Prince Jing's mansion also felt a tremor in their hearts.

What news could make the confident Prince so angry that he vomited blood?!

"Don't make a fuss, I'm fine."

Xu Wen spat out a mouthful of stagnant blood, but felt much better. Supported by his son, he sat upright in the camp and handed out the secret military report for everyone to read.

Soon, the faces of the Jiancheng Dao officials and generals in the camp changed drastically!

Urgent report from the front:

Please... You.... Bookmark _ (Six \\ \\ \\ Nine \\ \\ \\ Book \\ \\ \\ Bar!)

All three parties hunting down the Empress have died tragically, with no survivors. The Empress is suspected of entering the Celestial Realm.

Celestial Realm!

"How is that possible?!"

"There must be a mistake. The false Emperor failed in the Feng Chan ceremony and was seriously injured. There must be something fishy about this intelligence!"

"With such a major event, how could the secret agents make unfounded claims?"

There was an uproar.

"Silence!" Prince Jing slammed the table, suppressing the commotion. His face was unusually calm as he said:

"Order, first, send someone to contact the God of Law Sect to verify the truth. If it is true, say that this Prince wants to see the 'God of Law'."

"Second, send a copy of this intelligence to Prince Mu and the other princes. If this is true, invite Prince Mu to meet at the Huai River."

"Third, block the news and strictly prohibit leakage. Anyone in the army who spreads it will be killed immediately."

"Fourth…"

As orders were issued one by one, the officials and generals in the camp calmed down and responded one after another, hurrying away.

Before long, only Xu Jinglong was left in the tent. His voice trembled, and his face was no longer smug: "Father, has she really entered the Celestial Realm? Then aren't we…"

"Waste! Even if she is in the Celestial Realm, what is there to fear?" Prince Jing's eyes were as fierce as a tiger, revealing the solitary courage of a hero who turns misfortune into fortune, revealing his white teeth:

"If one is in the Celestial Realm, one can seize the world. The throne of the dynasty, isn't it no longer in our Xu family? Xu Zhenguan… good, very good. Uncles can continue to play this game of chess with you. Who will win or lose is still unknown!"

A hint of madness appeared on his face as he looked towards the direction of the capital:

"You better return to the capital quickly enough, otherwise, hehe…"

Outside the tent, Princess Lu Yan'er walked out of the adjacent tent, looking thoughtfully at the large group of Jiancheng Dao officials rushing out of the camp with hurried steps and crestfallen expressions.

… …

… …

Capital.

It was another cloudy day. The capital had been overcast recently, and the mood of the people in the city was as heavy as the clouds above their heads, as if brewing a storm.

Recently, news about the Empress's disappearance and the uprisings of the vassal kings in various places to advance to the capital had spread like wildfire in the city. Initially, the imperial court tried its best to suppress it.

But as more and more news spread, under the instigation of those with ulterior motives, it infiltrated the upper circles of the capital almost everywhere. Related rumors finally spread uncontrollably from top to bottom, reaching the streets and alleys.

Early morning, inside the Grand Tutor's mansion.

Dong Da, dressed in simple green robes, stood respectfully outside the veranda gate of his grandfather's backyard, waiting.

When he saw Dong Xuan, dressed in the official robes of a Grand Scholar and already of venerable age, walk out, he quickly said:

"Grandfather, the carriage is ready. This grandson will escort you to the palace."

Grand Tutor Dong's appearance was still as it was in the past, dignified and solemn, with the demeanor of an imperial tutor.

However, upon closer observation, one would find that the old man's eyes were covered with bloodshot eyes, and although his face was covered with powder, he still couldn't hide his fatigue.

Grand Tutor Dong had not been feeling well these days, so Dong Da, the eldest grandson, was responsible for taking care of his grandfather's travels.

"Yes, let's go."

Grand Tutor Dong nodded slightly, and with the support of Dong Da, the eldest son, he walked out of the Grand Tutor's mansion and boarded a carriage of considerable specifications.

Heading to the imperial palace.

During the days when the Empress was away, the affairs of the court were presided over by the Literary Cultivation Hall, headed by Dong Xuan. Today, a "court meeting" without the Emperor will be held in the palace.

Similar court meetings had been held almost daily these days, but most of the time, they were small court meetings within the imperial faction.

Today, the scale was larger.

The carriage rumbled along the streets of the capital. Grand Tutor Dong used his wrinkled hands to lift the shaking curtain of the carriage and looked outside.

In the early morning, the streets were far less prosperous and lively than before, breeding unease.

The pedestrians on the road were all in a hurry, as if they had something on their minds. Restaurants and theaters were deserted, while there were long queues outside the rice shops.

"Are the grain prices in the city still rising?" Grand Tutor Dong frowned and asked.

Dong Da, the eldest son, who was riding in the same carriage, respectfully reported:

"These days, the price changes almost daily. Not only rice, but other scarce items are also soaring in price."

Dong Da, the eldest son, who had an ordinary appearance, was not lacking in ability. He answered these questions fluently.

"Didn't the government come forward to stabilize grain prices and strictly investigate hoarding?" The Grand Tutor continued to ask.

"…Reporting to grandfather, if the government hadn't taken action, the current prices would probably have risen even more." Dong Da was silent for a moment before saying.

Grand Tutor Dong sighed softly and closed his eyes.

The people in the city had already smelled the bloody scent of war, and those who took action first were the powerful and wealthy in the capital who had more access to information.

He believed that this was only the beginning. If the situation continued to be unchecked and panic brewed, the first thing to be paralyzed would be the economy of the people.

"What are those people doing?" The carriage turned a corner.

Grand Tutor Dong noticed the noisy arguments coming from the teahouse, but the building was closed and the windows were closed, so he couldn't hear clearly. There were also figures of scholars entering and leaving nearby.

Dong Da hesitated and said: "It should be scholars discussing the situation. In the Imperial College, these days, almost everyone is talking about it."

"Nonsense!"

Grand Tutor Dong was annoyed, his expression filled with anger:

"Scholars gathering in teahouses to discuss the court situation, isn't that creating panic? What about the government? Why aren't there any constables stopping them?"

Dong Da said bitterly:

"Grandfather, not to mention that many of these scholars are young masters from families with backgrounds, and the petty officials dare not provoke them, even if they dare, there are not enough people at the moment.

These days, gangs led by the Red Flower Society are causing trouble in the city, and the number of cases in the yamen has surged. The constables and yamen runners are not enough to deal with these, and they really can't spare anyone to take care of this kind of thing."

Grand Tutor Dong was speechless, snorted, and did not get out of the car to stop them. He said in a low voice:

"This should also be the responsibility of the Zhao Yamen."

Dong Da, the eldest son, was silent.

The carriage drove all the way and finally arrived at the imperial palace.

And stopped outside the Meridian Gate.

When Grand Tutor Dong stepped forward, pushed open the vermilion gate, and entered the side hall used for the court meeting today, he heard the court officials in the hall discussing, each with a face full of unease.

"Humph!"

Grand Tutor Dong coughed heavily, attracting everyone to look over, and the noisy sound also stopped.

Inside the hall.

Yuan Li, Li Yanfu, Ma Yan… all the important ministers such as the ministers of various departments were present, looking sideways.

The scholars of the Literary Cultivation Hall, led by Han Zhou, also stood in the hall.

"The Grand Tutor is here!"

"Greetings, Grand Tutor!"

"Everyone be quiet…"

Under the gaze of the court officials, Dong Xuan, the Grand Scholar of the Hanlin Academy, the contemporary imperial tutor who was temporarily in charge of all matters in the capital according to the Empress's oral decree, walked through the crowd step by step and came to the chair reserved for him, and sat down gently.

Yuan Li, Li Yanfu and others took the lead, and also took their seats

—Because it was not a formal court meeting, many chairs were placed in the hall.

After the officials took their seats, Grand Tutor Dong spoke faintly:

"Tell me about the situation."