The First Lackey Under The Empress

The "warlord" of the Qingzhou rebels actually belonged to Yuan Li's, that old schemer's, camp.

This answer surprised Zhao Du'an quite a bit, but upon closer thought, it wasn't that surprising.

The Yu Kingdom hadn't had any major wars for many years, so the promotion of local military generals had become much more difficult.

More often than not, what was being compared wasn't "military merit" or "ability", but background.

Although the Yu Kingdom's founding emperor was a military man, he advocated a strategy of civil officials governing the country. Therefore, the position of the military officer group, represented by the樞密院 (Shūmìyuàn, the Bureau of Military Affairs), in the imperial court was far lower than that of the 内阁 (Nèigé, the Grand Secretariat).

Inevitably, the official positions of military generals in the local military governments were also subject to some degree of interference from the court's political factions.

The "Purification Faction" led by Yuan Li was the second largest group, second only to the "Li Faction", so it was not surprising that they jointly recommended and arranged a commander.

"When I was in the capital, I never heard anyone mention this," Zhao Du'an recalled the process of the court officials gathering to discuss the Qingzhou rebel affairs that day, and hesitantly opened his mouth.

Yuan Feng smiled wryly and said, "Although Wei Xianzong belongs to the Purification Faction, he has defected to Prince Heng, but Lord Yuan is loyal to the imperial court, and the two cannot be confused."

Heh, are you sure the real situation isn't that the court is turbulent, the Li Faction just rebelled, and the officials tacitly agreed not to target Yuan Li at this juncture?

So as to avoid the "Purification Faction" also collapsing, causing the court to be paralyzed?

Zhao Du'an snorted softly. With his understanding of the court's dark arts, if it weren't for the pressure of the situation, the memorials impeaching Yuan Li would have piled up into a small mountain long ago.

Regardless of whether Wei Xianzong represents Yuan Li's will, in short, the person he recommended has caused such a big problem. Yuan Li, as the leader of the faction, cannot get rid of the label of "unclear about personnel".

Well, I bet that as long as Li Yanfu's coup is quelled, the next one to be unlucky will be Yuan Li… After all, the most important thing in the court is balance. Now that the Li Faction has been destroyed, even for the sake of balance, the Purification Faction must be suppressed…

Zhao Du'an's thoughts flickered, and he suddenly asked:

"Do you know why this Wei Xianzong rebelled?"

The crowd looked at each other, all shaking their heads, indicating that the incident happened suddenly, and as generals, they had no channels to investigate.

"What is your Excellency asking this for? In any case, it is a major crime of treason. No matter what the reason, it is difficult to escape death," Chen Gui complained, stroking his goatee.

Zhao Du'an smiled without saying a word, leaning back in the carved chair, tapping his fingers lightly on his knees, his eyes revealing contemplation, and suddenly said:

"I would like to trouble you all to interrogate the captives more later. I need to know everything that has happened within the Heng Wang rebel group during this period, especially those involving this Wei Xianzong. Order the scribes in the army to organize it into information, and I will present it to His Majesty."

Everyone's expressions turned stern, they didn't dare to ask more questions, and hurriedly agreed.

Then, from time to time, military officers began to enter the camp to report the results of the battle. Zhao Du'an did not interfere with these follow-up matters and left them to the others to do.

After a while, a soldier came from outside:

"Reporting, 少保 (Shǎobǎo, Junior Guardian), the female head of the Xiao family of Donghu has awakened and wants to see you."

Xiao Dong'er is awake? Zhao Du'an pondered slightly, got up and said:

"Lead the way."

Xiao Dong'er was placed in a separate tent in the camp, guarded by sentries at the door.

When Zhao Du'an arrived, a military doctor stood respectfully:

"Reporting, Your Excellency, the person is fine, but she suffered from heatstroke, coupled with recent mental tension, lack of sleep and anxiety leading to physical weakness, and has been fed soup and medicine."

"Very good." Zhao Du'an nodded in satisfaction, opened the curtain of the big tent and stepped into it. The tent was empty, with a simple wooden bed placed inside.

Wearing a dark-colored horse-face skirt, with her cloud-like hair disheveled, her spirit languid, and her expression haggard, Madam Xiao was sitting on the bed, her legs dangling on the edge of the bed, her silk socks exposed in the air, and a pair of embroidered shoes neatly placed under the bed.

She was drinking a bowl of soup, putting the pottery bowl on a simple wooden table next to her. Seeing Zhao Du'an walking in, Xiao Dong'er's eyes suddenly brightened, and her face, still flushed from the heat, showed excitement. She supported her body with her hands and was about to get out of bed.

As a result, she seemed to be unable to stand firmly due to being tied up for many days and physical weakness. Her knees softened and she knelt on the ground:

"Your Excellency…"

"Madam Xiao, be careful!" Zhao Du'an was stunned, retracted his hand, and allowed the thick camp curtain behind him to fall, blocking the doctor and guards outside. He quickly stepped forward and was about to help her up.

But he saw Xiao Dong'er take advantage of the situation and prostrate herself on the ground, her delicate hands supporting her on the muddy ground, her elbows bent, leaning forward, her head drooping, her forehead almost touching the ground, her full peach-shaped buttocks tensed, and raised high. The tearful Madam Xiao, who had escaped danger, said:

"Your Excellency's great kindness in saving my life, this concubine has no way to repay!"

Ah, this, Zhao Du'an, who caught a glimpse of the dazzling white mosaic tiles, retracted his hand as if electrocuted, and awkwardly accepted the female head's bow, his expression strange, and said:

"Madam Xiao doesn't have to perform such a great ceremony. This official is just doing it casually. Besides, since you are an imperial merchant of the imperial court, this official should naturally protect you. It is your Xiao family who has been implicated in this rebellion. It would be fine if you resent the imperial court, but it would be right to resent this official."

Xiao Dong'er's thin shoulders seemed to tremble as she choked. She hurriedly raised her haggard face, her eyes flushed, and sobbed:

"How can this concubine resent you? I'm not grateful enough, but I dare to ask what happened to Prince Heng…"

"I injured him, captured him alive, and he is now being tried in the camp," Zhao Du'an said righteously, bent down, raised his arm, and helped Madam Xiao up, sitting back on the bed:

"Later, this official will escort him back to the capital for trial."

After a pause, he added:

"The Qingzhou rebels have been defeated, and His Majesty has safely returned to the court a few days ago."

His Majesty has returned to the court… The Qingzhou army has been defeated… Xiao Dong'er was stunned, trying to digest this explosive news, and then a string that had been tightly stretched in her body for many days finally completely relaxed.

A smile bloomed on her face, revealing the joy of surviving a catastrophe:

"Good… good… With His Majesty's return, my Xiao family should be spared the disaster of destruction…"

While speaking, tears flowed down like a broken string.

At this moment, this "first imperial merchant" who was calling the wind and rain outside, whose beauty was well-known, and who was in charge of a dignified clan, completely peeled off her shell and revealed her soft side.

The fear and pain of many days were all released at this moment.

Zhao Du'an didn't speak, quietly pulled over a chair, sat down leisurely, giving Xiao Dong'er time to process her emotions.

After a while, Madam Xiao recovered from her joy, wiped her eyes embarrassedly with the back of her hand, turned her head awkwardly, and said softly:

"This concubine was overjoyed and saddened, inevitably losing her composure, making Your Excellency laugh."

When this widow, who was only in her thirties and well-maintained, turned her head, the curves of her collarbone and neck were clearly discernible.

She is deliberately seducing me… Zhao Du'an's expression was strange, he keenly noticed her little trick, but he didn't expose it, and said in a joking tone:

"It's okay, it's human nature for a madam to be suddenly frightened. But next, when the madam follows this official back to the capital to meet the Emperor, don't be like this again."

Meet the Emperor?

Xiao Dong'er was stunned, looking at the man in front of her in surprise, stammering:

"What does Your Excellency mean by this…"

Zhao Du'an smiled and said:

"The imperial court will never treat its own people badly. Although the Qingzhou rebels have been wiped out, the aftermath has not subsided. The Donghu Xiao family has been rooted in Qingzhou for a hundred years and has a deep foundation. If the Xiao family is entrusted to assist the court officials in stabilizing the situation in Qingzhou Province, what does the madam think?"

"Your Excellency… is this true?" Madam Xiao was shocked. Of course, she could hear the implied meaning of these words.

The situation is turbulent, and the imperial court does not have many people now. If they want to stabilize Qingzhou Province as soon as possible and completely remove the remnants of Prince Heng's base camp, it would be most appropriate to have the cooperation of the Xiao family.

And once the Xiao family participates, they will undoubtedly gain great benefits, even replacing Prince Heng's府 (mansion) and becoming the largest force in Qingzhou Dao besides the imperial court.

Zhao Du'an smiled gently: "This official will recommend you to His Majesty. The specifics will depend on His Majesty's decision."

Madam Xiao's eyes reddened again, but this time, a particularly bright light flashed in the eyes of this ambitious woman, and her gaze towards Zhao Du'an also changed.

It seemed like there was something more.

"Your Excellency's great kindness, this concubine..."

"Ahem, Madam Xiao, please rest well. This official will take his leave now. If you wish to repay me, remember to clarify to His Majesty after entering the palace, denying Prince Heng's nonsense." Zhao Du'an was as slippery as a mud loach, stood up and bid farewell.

The last sentence naturally referred to Prince Heng's slander and rumor that he and Xiao Dong'er were having an affair.

Xu Hengtai was too cunning, announcing it loudly in front of so many Divine Mechanism Camp soldiers. Zhao Du'an felt that unless he killed all those soldiers to silence them, it would be difficult to hide this matter... Moreover, even if the Divine Mechanism Camp soldiers didn't speak.

Could there be such rumors within the Qingzhou rebel army? Most likely, there were.

He felt that, for safety's sake, he should still clarify the matter with Zhenbao in person, actively explaining it to avoid falling into a passive position.

"Your Excellency, rest assured, this concubine's humble appearance dares not tarnish Your Excellency's reputation." Xiao Dong'er's eyes dimmed.

The way you say that makes it sound like my reputation is very good... Zhao Du'an clicked his tongue and took his leave.

...

Lifting the curtain and walking out of the tent, Zhao Du'an couldn't help but be stunned, his face turning as black as the bottom of a pot:

"What are you doing here, acting so sneaky?"

He saw that the guards guarding the gate had been driven away at some point, replaced by Chen Gui and Tang Ping, who were suspiciously eavesdropping outside the tent.

Chen Huoshen and the Little Duke stammered, their brains racing. They turned around and stepped aside in unison, pointing to a figure hiding behind a pillar outside the tent:

"Commander has returned, we are here to report!"

At the place indicated by the two, Shi Meng, who was burly and rough, braced himself and walked out from behind the pillar, forcing a smile as he met Zhao Du'an's gloomy gaze, revealing a mouthful of white teeth:

"Supervisor, well... don't worry, I've already ordered the little brats below to shut their mouths. Prince Heng's slanderous remarks on the official road will rot in our Divine Mechanism Camp and will never be spread, especially to His Majesty's ears!"

"..." Zhao Du'an's face turned even darker, and he said stiffly:

"How... how do you know...?"

Shi Meng was uneasy, clearly a burly man like a small mountain, but he twisted and turned, his eyes dodging:

"Those little brats who went out with you to capture Prince Heng reported to me in private... They were also kind-hearted, worried that there would be too many people talking, so... But you can rest assured that I, Lao Shi, will handle things. Supervisor is one of our own in the Divine Mechanism Camp, and we will naturally help with all our strength."

On the side, Chen Gui and Tang Ping, one old and one young, one the technical director of the army, and the other a mid-level military officer, nodded vigorously at the same time, winking and gesturing towards Madam Xiao in the tent, patting their chests to guarantee:

"We will definitely keep our mouths shut too!"

"..." Zhao Du'an almost choked on his breath, his lips trembling:

"This official and the Xiao family head are innocent, there has never been..."

The three men nodded tacitly: "Ah, yes, yes, yes."

"..." Zhao Du'an took a deep breath and retorted sternly:

"How loyal is this official to His Majesty? Don't you know? Moreover, she is a widow! Which general would be interested in someone else's wife and concubine... Uh, I'm not surnamed Cao!"

The three men were stunned, exchanging glances: A general surnamed Cao? What is this allusion?

Chen Gui stroked his beard, looking at Shi Meng like a curious baby:

"Is there any comrade surnamed Cao in our army who likes this way?"

Tang Ping also pricked up his ears, casting an inquiring gaze curiously:

"There seem to be people surnamed Cao in the Three Thousand and Five Armies Camp, but I don't know which one the lord is talking about?"

"..." Zhao Du'an waved his hand weakly:

"Get out of here. I will personally report this matter to His Majesty. As the saying goes, a gentleman is open and aboveboard..."

The three showed disappointment: It was obvious that the supervisor didn't trust them.

"Wait a minute," Zhao Du'an saw the three turning to leave, and only then belatedly remembered, looking at Shi Meng:

"I almost forgot, when did you come back? Didn't you go to pursue Wei Xianzong's troops?"

Shi Meng turned back, said "Oh", and showed a harmless and simple smile:

"Wei Xianzong has been captured by me."

...

Shortly after.

Inside a military tent, Zhao Du'an saw Wei Xianzong, who was personally escorted in by Shi Meng and others.

"Kneel!"

Shi Meng kneed Wei Xianzong, who was tied up, pushing and knocking him down, making him kneel in front of Zhao Du'an.

Wei Xianzong, who had taken the position of commander at the age of thirty, was still wearing armor, his hair disheveled, his face bruised, and his body stained with blood, but he was not seriously injured.

At this moment, he was bound and kneeling on the ground, his head lowered, his eyes fixed on the ground, silent.

"Raise your head and speak." Zhao Du'an leaned lazily on a Luohan bed, his posture casual.

This Luohan bed was set up in Prince Heng's camp. Even when marching and fighting, the pampered prince did not forget to bring comfortable seats with him.

Wei Xianzong lowered his head and did not speak.

"The Supervisor told you to raise your head, are you deaf?"

Tang Ping sneered, and with a clang, drew his knife, using the blade to lift the former's chin.

Since Zhen Guogong returned to Beijing and Tang Zhao, the Rouge Horse of the Border, went to Zhao Du'an to fight and was defeated, Tang Ping had been sincerely convinced by Zhao Du'an, evolving from an unconvinced little wolf dog into a loyal dog.

Wei Xianzong's chin was lifted by the tip of the knife, the bluish-black stubble reflecting on the snow-white blade. His calm and capable face had no expression, his eyes meeting the lazy Zhao Du'an's gaze.

"This official also knows a local official, who is the Grand Canal Governor of Jiancheng Dao, who looks very different from you, but his eyes are very similar. He is a capable minister,"

Zhao Du'an looked down, scrutinizing the young general recommended by Yuan Li, and smiled:

"However, what he is better than you is that even if Prince Jing repeatedly coerced and lured him, even threatening him with his wife and daughters, he did not betray the imperial court and was not loyal to His Majesty."

Wei Xianzong remained silent.

Zhao Du'an stared at him deeply and said calmly:

"Aren't you going to say something?"

Wei Xianzong was silent for a while, then suddenly asked: "Did you make the Divine Mechanism Camp's firearms?"

"Show some respect, believe it or not, I'll slap your mouth!" The Little Duke raised his saber sheath, pretending to hit him.

Zhao Du'an raised his hand, stopped him, smiled, and looked down at Wei Xianzong kneeling on the ground:

"I made it, so what?"

Wei Xianzong thought seriously and said:

"Very strong. But if there were preparations, the Qingzhou army would not have been defeated so badly. Although I lost to you in this battle, it was not a crime of war."

Not a crime of war... Zhao Du'an's eyelids twitched, and the smile on the corner of his mouth deepened:

"He has a temper, not bad, better than Xu Heng and his son. This official is curious whether you will still be so tough when I take you back to Beijing and throw you into the Imperial Prison."

He waved his hand:

"Take him down. Order, leave the main force here to clean up the battlefield and detain the prisoners. This official will take an elite force to escort the Qingzhou rebel high officials..."

Zhao Du'an patted his butt and stood up, walked past the expressionless Wei Xianzong, and walked out:

"Return to Beijing to report!"