The First Lackey Under The Empress

Inside the inn room.

Zhao Du'an sat in the chair with a commanding presence, legs crossed, the sole of his boot pressing down on Qin Qiu's head, his tone strange and mocking.

"Who? Who dares to attack an official? Let me go..." Qin Qiu, pinned underfoot, was furious, struggling to break free, but he was horrified to discover that the boot on his head was incredibly heavy. He turned to his men for help:

"Why aren't you taking down this thief?"

Outside the door, the group of clerks finally snapped out of their daze and made as if to barge in. Zhao Du'an exerted a slight pressure with his boot, saying casually:

"Tell them to guard downstairs."

Qin Qiu let out a pig-like squeal, immediately changing his tune in fright: "Get out! All of you, get downstairs and wait for me! Now!"

This… The clerks exchanged glances, but had no choice but to retreat.

"Close the door." Zhao Du'an ordered leisurely. Only after the door was tightly shut did Qin Qiu, who was prostrate on the ground, bottom in the air, hands supporting himself, speak with a slight tremor:

"Your Excellency should know that this is the capital."

Zhao Du'an said calmly, "Answer my question first. Are you an Embroidered Uniform Guard from the Imperial Secret Service?"

Qin Qiu, pinned to the ground, couldn't see the situation inside the room clearly, but he keenly sensed that this person was not to be trifled with. He hurriedly invoked a powerful name:

"Although I am not, I… I have a very close personal relationship with Zhao Shaobao of the Imperial Secret Service."

"Zhao Shaobao?" Zhao Du'an sneered:

"So you're that treacherous official's lackey. No wonder you act so rampantly, bullying and dominating the market. You deserve to die."

In the inner room, the Empress, who had been quietly watching the show, glanced at him.

Crap… I invoked the wrong name… A chill went through Qin Qiu's heart as he secretly lamented. He changed his tune:

"However, that Zhao fellow has been away from the capital for a long time. I no longer associate with him. We're not close, not close at all."

Zhao Du'an rolled his eyes, too lazy to waste words on this insignificant character. He lifted his foot:

"Is that so?"

"Yes, yes, yes! I even have a personal feud with that King Yama Zhao. He almost killed me back then. Hero, spare my life…" Qin Qiu scrambled to his feet, craning his neck to see the appearance of this menacing figure.

Immediately, he seemed to have been choked, his eyes widening in terror, as if he had seen a ghost.

Zhao Du'an casually tore off the disguise mask, revealing his true face, a half-smile playing on his lips:

"Qin Qiu, ah Qin Qiu, do you still remember this official's grudge?"

"Brother… Brother Zhao?!" Qin Qiu's eyes bulged, his voice as shrill as a duck's. He rubbed his eyes hard, confirming that the person in front of him was indeed Zhao Du'an. First, he was overjoyed, then cold sweat poured down like a waterfall:

"No… No, I'm not… That…"

He was almost crying. His legs, which had barely managed to support him, buckled again, and his crotch became soaked.

Zhao Du'an pinched his nose and kicked him with annoyance:

"Good, very good. This official has only been away from the capital for a few months, and you, you dog, have already started to invoke my name and act like a tyrant."

Qin Qiu was knocked head over heels by the not-so-light kick, but instead of crying, he smiled through his tears. He grabbed Zhao Du'an's thigh and began to wail:

"Brother Zhao, you're finally back! I knew that good people are always blessed by heaven. I don't know how many people in the city were hoping you wouldn't return, but only Qiu'er's loyal heart remains unchanged…"

He knew that if Zhao Du'an had wanted to kill him, he could have kicked him to death just now. He immediately transformed into a bootlicker.

"Alright, let go of my leg. Shut up and stop howling, or do you want me to throw you into the Imperial Prison for revealing my identity?" Zhao Du'an said with a look of disgust.

Only then did Qin Qiu let go, his face covered in snot and tears, both crying and laughing, his spirits high:

"Everyone in the capital said that you were protecting His Majesty, escaping from the rebels. How did you appear in the city?"

As he spoke, his beady little eyes noticed for the first time a woman standing quietly in the inner room, wearing a veil and exuding an air of nobility. As if realizing something, his mouth fell open:

"Could this be… Your Ma… Ma…"

"I ask, you answer." Zhao Du'an interrupted him, asking in a cold voice:

"Tell me everything you know about the current situation in the city."

"Yes!"

Qin Qiu didn't dare to breathe loudly, his heart pounding like a drum. He immediately poured out everything he knew like beans from a bamboo tube.

Back when he was fighting Zhou Cheng of the Court of Judicial Review, Qin Qiu had been thrown into prison. After Zhou Cheng fell, he returned home to recuperate.

Later, as Zhao Du'an's position rose, this hooligan from the playboy circle also took advantage of his power, and he actually managed to thrive.

Moreover, because he mingled in the "Capital Circle" formed by the wealthy young masters of the capital, he was well-informed. This saved Zhao Du'an the trouble of going out to find someone. The two of them quickly gained a general understanding of the situation in the city.

"…So. Xue Shence has now gone south to Linfeng Dao to take charge of the overall situation, preparing to block the rebel army? And Heng Wang of Qingzhou is garrisoned dozens of miles east of the capital, on the Qingzhou border? Blocked by the Jing Camp?"

Zhao Du'an frowned: "What about the imperial court? Who is making the decisions?"

Qin Qiu said: "Grand Tutor Dong is in charge. These days, he calls for court meetings almost every day. It's just that the officials in the lower government offices are demoralized, rumors are spreading among the people, panic is rampant, and prices are soaring.

The manpower in the government offices is severely insufficient, so the Imperial Secret Service has delegated some authority to some temporarily recruited clerks to help with the work. This humble one received a job to investigate the identities of people entering the city."

Zhao Du'an sneered: "Taking on a job? You're just taking advantage of the chaos to make a profit, aren't you?"

The纨绔son of a wealthy family prostrated on the ground, not daring to refute.

Zhao Du'an was too lazy to pay attention to him. He turned to exchange glances with the Empress, both of them looking relieved.

Although the capital was turbulent, the functions of the imperial court were still operating as usual. The worst-case scenario had not occurred.

Xu Zhenguan moved her lotus steps lightly, walked in front of the 匍匐kneeling纨绔, and said majestically: "Has the Prime Minister's faction shown any unusual movements?"

Isn't… Asking him this is a bit beyond his pay grade… Zhao Du'an complained.

Qin Qiu, however, hesitated, not daring to raise his head, and said:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble one dares not speak recklessly about the Prime Minister."

He had already confirmed the identity of the woman in front of him, and his adrenaline was soaring. He didn't dare to overstep in the slightest:

"However… This humble one has been inspecting everywhere in the city these days, and I have indeed made some discoveries. Yesterday, an unidentified person entered the city. The relevant entry records were erased, but those below witnessed that he was secretly picked up by a steward from the Little Grand Secretary's residence…

Furthermore, in the past few days, farmers with registered residences in the suburbs of the capital have been entering the city one after another… At this point in time, it is quite unusual. When this humble one went to investigate, I discovered that these people didn't look like farmers. They all looked like retired veterans… But I didn't dare to delve deeper."

Zhao Du'an and Xu Zhenguan were both stunned, their eyes narrowing at the same time!

This guy actually made a discovery? Zhao Du'an frowned:

"You didn't report these things to the Imperial Secret Service?"

Since Qin Qiu had taken on the job, he should have summarized the information and reported it to Ma Yan.

Why did he say "didn't dare to delve deeper"?

Qin Qiu choked, and said cautiously: "This humble one… has not had time to report."

Heh, is it that he hasn't had time, or is he pretending to be blind, deliberately pretending not to see it? Zhao Du'an sneered.

He knew this guy too well. After thinking for a moment, he knew the reason:

Qin Qiu did notice something was wrong during the inspection, but because he was afraid of the Prime Minister's residence and didn't want to get involved in the upper-level power struggles, he deliberately hid it.

After all, the last case in the Court of Judicial Review taught him a deep lesson.

This is a strategy for small people to protect themselves, especially since the Empress and Zhao Du'an were missing. Qin Qiu was wantonly extorting money at this time. Didn't he have the idea of ​​making a quick buck and trying to escape to avoid disaster?

Since he has no confidence in the imperial court, why should he report it? Just to cause trouble?

If Qin Qiu is like this, then the rest of the clerks in charge of inspection and sharing the errand in the city are probably all planning the same way. Under this circumstance, the so-called inspection has become an empty shell.

Ma Yan, who is in charge of the Imperial Secret Service, has limited manpower. I'm afraid he hasn't noticed these secretly happening changes.

In the final analysis, if the machine of the imperial court is demoralized, no matter how wise and capable the ministers sitting in high positions are, they will become blind, deaf, and dumb.

As for Qin Qiu's decision to speak at this time, one is that he has the intention of redeeming himself, and the other is that since the Empress and Zhao Shaobao have returned, he naturally has no reason to run away again.

"Li Yanfu…" The Empress's heart sank.

"Your Majesty is worried that the Li faction is scheming in the dark?" Zhao Du'an understood.

The Empress nodded, then shook her head: "We still need to confirm further."

Zhao Du'an's heart stirred, and he glanced at the lackey on the ground:

"You can go now. You know what to do, right?"

Qin Qiu was enlightened:

"This humble one will deal with it, and will never reveal any news related to Your Majesty and Shaobao. I'll just pretend to have been driven out by two powerful young masters. If this humble one reveals even half a sentence, may my whole family be executed!"

"Get out." Zhao Du'an said:

"Go back and remember. When the chaos in the city is over, return all the money you extorted from others intact, or you know the consequences."

"Yes! I dare not neglect!"

Qin Qiu was overjoyed. He stuck out his butt and backed out the door with his head lowered. Only after closing the door did he let out a long breath, his whole body almost soaked.

But his eyes showed joy, somewhat smug:

Now in this city, I, Qin Qiu, am probably the only one who knows that His Majesty has returned, right?

He walked downstairs triumphantly. Facing a group of Imperial Secret Service "outsourcing employees," he deliberately put on a dejected look: "Let's go, let's go."

"Uh, Master Qin… Who was upstairs…" Someone asked.

Qin Qiu kicked him, saying angrily:

"I ran into some nobles with a background. Don't ask too much. You can't afford to offend them. Be careful, knowing too much will lead to a death you won't even know how it happened."

Working in the capital, what these low-level runners are most afraid of is accidentally offending some powerful person. Not asking too much is a basic rule.

… …

Inside the room.

"Your Majesty, do you mean…" Zhao Du'an closed the door and turned to ask.

Xu Zhenguan thought for a moment, her fair palm turned over, and in her hand appeared a delicate leaf-like instrument.

She walked straight to the window, placed the white porcelain "leaf" on her red lips, and gently blew.

No sound rang out, but Zhao Douan clearly felt a slight ripple in his heart.

Xu Zhenguan put down the leaf instrument, her dark eyes gazing at the street:

"This is a way to summon the imperial guards in the city. I need more manpower to confirm the movements of the Li faction."

So, you already had channels to obtain information… Zhao Douan thought to himself, then said seriously:

"Your Majesty didn't make a big fanfare about returning, but instead quietly entered the city first, wanting to find out who are the restless people in the city who might be colluding with the rebels?"

Two words popped into his head: Fishing!

He thought, could it be that Zhenbao is planning to take this opportunity to fish? To wipe out all the unstable factors and the hidden rebel spies in the court?

"This is indeed a good opportunity, but if these people don't jump out in a short time, we can't just keep waiting. The longer Your Majesty doesn't show up, the weaker the resistance will be in the regions," Zhao Douan analyzed calmly.

He believed that, given the current situation, it was not suitable to fish.

Because the losses brought by continuing to lie low might outweigh digging out some traitors.

"No," the Empress shook her head, her clear eyes looking at him:

"I will only hide in the city for a day at most. Tomorrow morning, no matter the result, I will go to the palace to 'attend court' and stabilize the situation.

However, I do need this one day to find out as much as possible who in the court might be colluding with the rebels. Now that things have come to this, I can still afford to wait one day."

One day…

That's right, if the Empress immediately shows up, after she stabilizes the situation, and then sends people to investigate, many traces will disappear.

Therefore, waiting one more day will not affect the overall situation and can also screen out hidden dangers in the court as much as possible.

After all, many times, the losses caused by a spy in the court are far greater than losing a city.

However, she didn't dare to wait any longer, so she chose to formally return tomorrow morning.

"By the way, what about Shenlong Temple…" Zhao Douan suddenly opened his mouth.

Xu Zhenguan shook her head and said calmly:

"Xuan Yin has already left the capital."

Zhao Douan was stunned. After Zhenbao entered the city, she had already quietly used her divine sense to investigate?

He didn't speak again, waiting for the appearance of the imperial guards, looking at the crowded streets outside, thinking that there shouldn't be any trouble on the last day.

… …

… …

Throughout the day, the capital was as usual, and almost no one knew about the Empress's return.

After dusk, the flow of people on the streets gradually decreased, and when wisps of smoke from cooking fires were also extinguished in the darkness, night arrived.

"Little Grand Secretary" Li Yinglong, with two confidants, waited quietly in the darkness, his feminine face mixed with excitement and anxiety, pacing back and forth.

This was a secluded street, and his carriage was guarding in front of a closed-down pharmacy.

Suddenly, the lights in the pharmacy lit up, and the Little Grand Secretary's spirits lifted. He walked over wearing a cloak.

In the heavy night, the pharmacy door opened, and two figures walked out one after the other.

One person carried a lantern, following behind, his eyes vigilant and fierce, undoubtedly a master.

The person walking in front had a steady pace, but was completely hidden in a black hood.

"Father, everyone is here, just waiting for you," Li Yinglong urged in a low voice.

The dim yellow lantern swayed, and in the faint light, Li Yanfu's majestic face was vaguely revealed:

The hairs on his temples and beard were connected, as rough and prickly as a hedgehog's fur, and his pale purple eyebrows were like two twisted scars, welded to his eye sockets, and his cold gaze swept over, making people frightened.

At this moment, where was Li Yanfu's old and weak appearance in front of outsiders? He was clearly strong and healthy!

"Stop talking nonsense," Li Yanfu scolded expressionlessly, raising his foot and getting into the carriage, followed closely by the Little Grand Secretary.

Soon, the wheels rolled, speeding on the cool streets that were almost covered with light gauze.

Inside the carriage, a smile appeared on Li Yinglong's feminine face:

"Father's attitude during the day, seen by outsiders, will definitely not guess that you had already made arrangements early on."

Li Yanfu snorted, his face only had an outline in the darkness, not clear, but his vague voice was low and powerful:

"At this time, I don't know how many people in the capital are staring at me. If you want to not reveal any flaws, it's as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Therefore, the best way is to be generous and show everything to them."

Li Yinglong smiled:

"Father is right. Our Li family's servants entering the capital will always be watched. If he doesn't come, it will seem fake.

And the more restless and exasperated I am outside, the more it seems that you can't make a decision for a long time. Only in this way can we eliminate the vigilance of many people in the court and catch them off guard."

Li Yanfu was too lazy to talk nonsense with him, the old man's voice was a little ethereal in the darkness:

"Things are accomplished in secret. After tonight's gathering, I'm afraid it will be difficult to hide it anymore."

Li Yinglong was also silent for a moment, and said seriously:

"But for such a major event, if you don't show up in person, Father, I alone can't hold the scene and it's difficult to gain people's trust.

But by tomorrow, there will be no need to hide these things anymore. Our father and son have been acting for so long. I have been pretending to be an impetuous Little Grand Secretary, and you have been pretending to be sick for so long. It's finally coming to an end.

The female emperor is seriously injured and on the run, and that hateful Zhao Douan is not in the capital either. Besides that, the biggest obstacle, Xue Shence, has also been forced to lead troops to Linfeng. Even the Jingying outside the city has been held back by Heng King of Qingzhou…

It's simply a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we miss it, we'll never have it again."

At this moment, where was there any immaturity in him?

The fierceness between the father and son's eyebrows was completely carved out of the same mold.

… …

"Prime Minister, we're here."

At this time, the carriage stopped in an alley, and the father and son got out of the car and entered a courtyard in the alley.

After pushing open the door of a room with black cloth covering the windows, they saw that the entire room was full of people sitting around a table, and the candlesticks on the table spread out dim yellow candlelight.

Reflecting the faces in the room, most of them were the mainstays of the "Li faction", powerful officials in charge of a yamen in the court.

There were also a few unfamiliar faces, including the appearance of two military officers. If Zhao Douan was here, he would definitely be very familiar with them.

They were actually the leading military officials of the Jinwu Guard and Qianniu Guard in the "Twelve Guards" of the Imperial Army guarding the imperial city!

"Prime Minister!"

"The Prime Minister is here!"

The people in the room stood up one after another, their expressions excited.

Li Yanfu strode into the door, lifted his hood with both hands, and smiled slightly:

"Everyone, please sit down. Those who can gather here tonight are all brothers, so there is no need to be polite."

"Prime Minister is too kind!"

After everyone was seated, forming a circle, Li Yanfu, who was sitting upright in the main seat, lowered his eyes and looked at the entire map of the capital spread on the table, and said calmly:

"Tonight's gathering cannot be delayed for too long, so I won't talk nonsense.

Now that everything is ready, tomorrow morning, when the officials gather in the palace, we will raise troops in the name of 'clearing the emperor's side'. At that time, the Jinwu and Qianniu Guards will be patrolling and on duty at the main gate in the palace…"

The two leaders who were named straightened their backs—they were a little nervous, but there was no fear in their eyes.

The Empress was missing, and the five rebel armies were approaching the capital. Anyone with eyes knew that the Yu Kingdom was about to change masters.

At this time, they believed that joining the "Li faction" supported by the Huai Shui and Jiancheng aristocratic families was a wise move.

As long as they took control of the capital, and then selected a prince to assist him in ascending the throne, it would be a contribution to the dragon!

"…At that time, I will personally lead troops into the palace to control Dong Xuan, Yuan Li, and others, and take control of the Xiuwen Hall.

Now that the court has no leader, and all major and minor orders in the city are controlled by the Xiuwen Hall, as long as I control this new cabinet, I will be able to use the power of the cabinet to control the capital's defenses in the first time. By then, everyone will respond together, and great success can be achieved!"

Li Yanfu pressed his hand hard on the "Imperial Palace" on the map and said in a deep voice.

The people at the gathering were invigorated and successively placed their palms together on Li Yanfu's hand, stacked high.

Finally, Li Yanfu covered the top of the "palm mountain" with his other free hand and pressed down hard:

"After tomorrow, a mark will be left in the annals of history. Three years ago, there was the Xuanmen coup, and tomorrow, there will be the 'Clearing the Emperor coup'!"

… …

… …

The same night, Zhao Residence.

The night was as cool as water, and the entire Zhao family mansion was quiet, with only the summer insects chirping, and the flying insects circling silently beside the bamboo lantern on the eaves.

You Jinhua was wearing a silk lining, stepping on emerald green embroidered shoes, the rosy and white back half of her foot exposed, almost dragging her shoes.

Carrying a delicate lotus lantern in her hand, she pushed open the door and walked out of the bedroom, coming to the steps under the eaves of the back house.

She bit her plump lips, carefully covering a thin blanket in her hand on her daughter, who was hugging her knees on the steps under the porch, also wearing a single coat, staring blankly at the sparse and dim stars in the night sky.

"Mother?" The girl Zhao Pan turned her head and murmured softly.

… …

Proofread for typos.