The First Lackey Under The Empress

Triumph!

Inside the imperial study, the monarch and her ministers, locked in confrontation, paused simultaneously.

Even Xu Zhenguan, whose beautiful face usually maintained a solemn and dignified expression before the court, couldn't suppress a look of astonishment.

Not only her, but Mo Chou, standing beside her, was also momentarily stunned, instinctively turning her head to glance at the Empress, a hint of doubt and uncertainty in her eyes as to whether this scene was real or staged.

The old Minister of War, kneeling on the ground, along with the Deputy Grand Councilor of the樞密院 (Shūmì Yuàn, the Privy Council), and other military officials, revealed even more astonished expressions, exchanging glances, all reading the same shock in each other's eyes.

The Qingzhou rebels annihilated?

Prince Heng captured?

Zhao Du'an's triumphant return?

Wait…

Was this not a hallucination?

The old Minister of War suddenly used his hand to fiercely pinch the thigh of the Deputy Grand Councilor next to him.

The latter nearly cried out but forcefully endured it, staring blankly at the old Minister:

"What are you doing?!"

"It's not a dream…" The Minister of War murmured, the look of astonishment on his face deepening.

By all accounts, how many days had it been since Zhao Du'an led his troops out?

Even with a forced march, including the time wasted on the round trip, he had spent at most one day on the front lines!

No!

Perhaps not even a day!

And now he was returning in triumph?

In this world, who waged war like this?

Was this the same Qingzhou rebel who, according to intelligence, had beaten the Five Armies Camp so badly that they had requested reinforcements from the capital?

Or had he just gone for a stroll and casually captured a few bandits to return and claim credit?

"Could it be that on the way to the front lines, Commander Yuan of the Five Armies Camp had already decisively defeated the Qingzhou army?" A kneeling military official cautiously offered a guess.

Although Yuan Feng's sudden victory after sending a request for help just a few days ago was also a bit outrageous, considering the unpredictable nature of the front-line battlefield, anything could happen.

It wasn't impossible for the Five Armies Camp to find a way or seize an opportunity to defeat the rebels.

At least…

Compared to Zhao Du'an, an outsider leading troops, annihilating the rebels in half a day, this seemed more reasonable.

"Mo Chou," the Empress suddenly stood up, instructing with some excitement:

"Immediately accompany me to welcome the triumphant return of our court's soldiers.

Summon Eunuch Hai and the others to go together."

"And you," Xu Zhenguan glanced at the kneeling military officials:

"Go and take a look as well."

…

…

The eastern city gate of the capital was wide open today.

Under the gaze of the city gate guards and the people inside and outside the city, an elite squad belonging to the Divine Mechanism Camp marched mightily into the city.

Zhao Du'an, clad in armor, sat astride the leading warhorse, occupying the central position.

Slightly behind him were Shi Meng, Chen Gui, Tang Ping, and others.

As for the generals of the Five Armies Camp, only a vice general followed them back this time—Yuan Feng had suffered a defeat and naturally didn't have the face to follow the Divine Mechanism Camp back in "triumph."

He took the initiative to stay on the front lines, responsible for searching for the fleeing Qingzhou rebels from that battle, and at the same time responsible for escorting the large troops, hoping to redeem himself.

Therefore, in this team, only the officers of the Divine Mechanism Camp, and the several carriages tightly guarded by the soldiers behind them, contained not firearms, but Prince Heng, his son Xu Zudi, Wei Xianzong, and Xiao Dong'er, among others.

"Sir, to return in great victory after only a few days, such a military record can be called 'a military sage on earth'.

When those people in the court find out, I wonder what expressions will be on their faces, especially those old guys in the Privy Council and the Ministry of War, haha, I can already imagine what they'll look like."

Shi Meng grinned, his face full of honesty, but shrewdness gleamed in his eyes.

Zhao Du'an, riding on his horse, tugged on the reins and glanced at him with a smile:

"General Shi, aren't you afraid of making your colleagues in the Privy Council feel unhappy if these words get out?"

Shi Meng "heh"ed and smiled, saying:

"Sir, you are wise.

I am a rough person, and I have never been liked by that group of people.

In the past, some affairs within our camp have been restrained by these people, and we have suffered a lot of grievances.

If it were Grand Councilor Xue, I would respect him, but for the others, hehe."

Zhao Du'an smiled slightly, hearing that Shi Meng's statement was expressing loyalty.

Shi Meng was promoted by Xue Shence back in the day.

Whether civil or military officials, they all highly valued the grace of promotion.

Therefore, even if Shi Meng wanted to please him, it was impossible for him to target Xue Shence, but stepping on a wave of other players was still possible.

"Who said General Shi is a rough person?

I'm the first to disagree, but I will convey these words to Grand Councilor Xue when I meet him in the future," Zhao Du'an joked with a smile.

Shi Meng feigned a simple smile.

On the side, Tang Ping, while enjoying the attention of the people on both sides, still said with some disappointment:

"Sir, we have won a great victory this time, why didn't we notify the court in advance?

It would have been good to let them prepare a bit, coming back so suddenly is always a bit lacking."

The young duke was a bit envious of the grand occasion of the army's triumphant return, with all the people in the city welcoming them, drums and gongs resounding, and firecrackers going off.

He was still young and not steady enough… Zhao Du'an saw through his thoughts at a glance, sighing:

"Do you think it's very impressive?

But don't you think about how many colleagues we have inadvertently slapped in the face this time?

This official led troops for the first time and achieved such a victory.

Will those military officials in the court really be happy?

I'm afraid they will be unconvinced and jealous.

Not to mention anything else, we have so easily annihilated a rebel army.

How will those military officials do things next?

No matter how well they do, it will be difficult to catch up with us.

If they do poorly, they will be compared… If, as you said, we still need a grand occasion, wouldn't that make it even more difficult for them to step down?

Serving as an official in the court, leave a line in everything you do.

If you stand out too much, it may not be a good thing… If the current situation were not dire and the court urgently needed a beautiful victory to deter the rebels in the world, this official would rather take you to finish the battle, loaf around on the front lines, and play around in the mountains and waters for a month or two before returning."

Zhao Du'an said calmly, his tone filled with sighs.

These experiences were all gained from his previous life in officialdom, stepping out of one pit after another.

Tang Ping listened blankly, lost in thought.

Technical officer Chen Gui remained silent.

Shi Meng patted the young duke's shoulder meaningfully:

"Learn more, see more, the adults are teaching you real skills, you can't become a general with military achievements alone."

Tang Ping nodded, seriously saying: "I remember."

The corners of Zhao Du'an's mouth curled up slightly, although this battle was short, everyone had grown.

…

…

While speaking, the team followed Zhuque Avenue and arrived at the main gate of the imperial city.

From afar, they saw a large group of people standing and waiting at the city gate, the leader wearing white clothes and blue hair, with unparalleled beauty.

Zhao Du'an was stunned, subconsciously urging his horse to go faster.

When the team stopped some distance away from the Empress, he dismounted and led a group of generals to walk quickly forward.

The eyes of the monarch and her minister met.

Zhao Du'an clasped his fist and said loudly:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Divine Mechanism Camp has not failed Your Majesty's trust.

This time, we have decisively defeated the rebels, captured the rebellious officials, and returned in great victory.

Your subject has come to report!"

Behind him, Shi Meng and others said in unison: "Your subjects report!"

Further back, the soldiers shouted in unison: "The Divine Mechanism Camp reports!"

The sound shook like thunder!

Xu Zhenguan stood in the wind, her eyes fixed on Zhao Du'an's face, watching quietly, the corners of her mouth raised, as if the world had become bright, and said loudly:

"The triumphant return of all the generals and soldiers is a great comfort to me.

Zhao Qing's great victory should be spread throughout the Great Yu, to congratulate my Yu Kingdom!"

To congratulate the Yu Kingdom!

At this moment, everyone outside the palace gate was shocked, and the Minister of War, Deputy Grand Councilor, and other military officials who came out with them were once again stunned.

They confirmed that there were almost no people from the Five Armies Camp in the team, and Zhao Du'an's words undoubtedly confirmed that this battle was won by the Divine Mechanism Camp.

Such a major event could not be openly deceiving the monarch.

So…

This was real?

Zhao Du'an, this "outsider", just went for a walk and returned in triumph?

How did he do it?

Countless mysteries surged into their hearts, making these people feel restless, wishing they could immediately ask for clarification.

When they felt the gaze of the Empress cast over them, their old faces were once again stung with burning pain.

Thinking of the scene of their repeated remonstrations these few days, they wished they could dig a hole in the ground and bury themselves.

Fortunately, Xu Zhenguan did not intend to embarrass them, just glanced at them, and then greeted Zhao Du'an again:

"Today can be said to be a double celebration.

Zhao Qing, do you see who has returned?"

Zhao Du'an also noticed at this time a group of familiar faces in the team beside the Empress.

Mo Chou looked at him with resentful eyes.

Old Supervisor Sun Lianying smiled kindly.

Ning Zechen showed admiration, secretly giving a thumbs up.

Eunuch Hai stood smilingly behind the crowd, unassuming.

Ma Yan glanced at a group of people from Pear Blossom Hall behind him, giving an encouraging look.

Hou Renmeng, the leader of the Pear Blossom Hall elite, and Lang Shiba and Ji Yue, who were hiding behind, stepped forward and said respectfully:

"Congratulations on your triumphant return, Sir!"

They're back… They're all back… Zhao Du'an was stunned, a sincere smile appearing on his face:

"Good, good, everyone has returned safely.

Let us gather again in the capital.

Out of the depths comes the upswing, out of the depths comes the upswing!"

After the battle of Feng Chan, everyone fled separately.

Now most of the people he knew were still alive, which was already the best possible result.

"Don't all stand there, follow me into the palace.

I have already sent someone to invite the Grand Tutor and others.

Zhao Qing, you must talk about this battle properly," Xu Zhenguan said with a smile, in a good mood.

Ordering everyone to enter the palace.

It seemed Zhao Du'an wanted to show off fiercely, to save face and refute the doubts of the court officials during this period.

Hmph, let you all disbelieve, now you have nothing to say, right?

… …

… …

Soon after, inside the side hall.

Everyone gathered, even Grand Tutor Dong, Yuan Li, and the ministers of various departments hurried into the palace.

The Empress ordered the servants to bring chairs for everyone. The monarch and his subjects, a large group of dozens of people, almost formed a circle, eagerly listening to Zhao Du'an unravel the mystery.

Good heavens, it used to be individual reports from the monarch and his subjects, but this time it's turned into a public conference… Zhenbao, you should have told me earlier, give me some time to write a speech…

Zhao Du'an complained inwardly. In his previous life, he wrote speeches for others, but in this life, it was his turn to take the stage and give a report.

Without the expected nervousness, Zhao Du'an sorted out his thoughts and spoke eloquently:

“The great victory this time in such a short period should be attributed to the power of the Divine Machine Camp's new firearms…”

He slowly and steadily explained how he had improved the firearms last year, and how the Divine Machine Camp had been secretly developing and manufacturing guns behind closed doors this past year.

He explained how he led his troops to arrive, and how he happened to encounter Xu Zu and the Di people negotiating peace, how he detained them and started the war, and how the artillery bombarded the area.

He also explained how he led his troops to capture the fleeing Prince Heng…

He narrated the entire experience, picking out the key points.

During the process, no one interrupted, including the Empress, who listened attentively.

“The course of this battle is roughly like this. This subject thought that the court's great victory should be reported in a timely manner to stabilize the people's hearts, so I first escorted Prince Heng and others back,” Zhao Du'an summarized lightly:

“Therefore, it should be considered a surprise victory. After this battle, the news cannot be concealed. The next time the Divine Machine Camp is dispatched, the rebels will be prepared, and it will be difficult to replicate.”

So that's how it is… After the new firearms were formed into a system, they actually have such power?

The Vice Privy Councilor, the Minister of War, and others suddenly understood, and they felt better after hearing Zhao Du'an's additional sentence.

A surprise victory, difficult to replicate… The scholar-officials such as Grand Tutor Dong nodded, not disappointed—if it could really be replicated, and all the rebels could be crushed with firearms, then it would be too wishful thinking and unrealistic.

Next time, when the enemy is prepared, even if the firearms are still effective, they will inevitably be greatly discounted.

Especially, under the premise that the battle power of the Jing Prince, the Mu Prince, and other rebels is far higher than that of the Heng Prince.

“Raising soldiers for a thousand days is for using them for a moment. Although it is a surprise, it is not accidental that it can lead to victory. In the final analysis, it is because His Majesty planned ahead and overcame all objections to spend money on raising troops, as well as Zhao Shaobao's improvement of firearms, coupled with the concerted efforts of the Divine Machine Camp, that we have this unprecedented victory of destroying the enemy in one day.”

Grand Tutor Dong, wearing a university scholar's official robe and in his twilight years, loudly summarized, and the other ministers echoed:

“This battle is a great success, and it should be immediately spread throughout the world. When the rebels learn of it, they will inevitably be in danger and their spirit will be crushed.”

“That's right, Zhao Shaobao's quick battle and quick decision are especially crucial in this situation. Once this news comes out, the people of the world will know the strength of our court's army.”

“Zhao Shaobao has made great contributions and should be rewarded. The Divine Machine Camp has made great contributions and should be rewarded.”

Praises were endless.

Xu Zhenguan smiled and nodded:

“What you all said is very true. Pass down the order to first detain the rebels such as Prince Heng. The generals and soldiers of the Divine Machine Camp have worked hard, so let them go back to the camp to rest first. The Ministry of War will reward them, and the Ministry of Rites will draft a commendation. At the same time, spread the good news of the great victory to various places.”

Everyone stood up: “Your Majesty is wise!”

The meeting ended, and the ministers left one after another.

“Zhao Qing, come with me.” The Empress threw a sentence to Zhao Du'an, and strode towards the Imperial Study.

The public meeting is over, and next is a closed-door small meeting… Zhao Du'an nodded happily. In the previous report, only the main experiences were mentioned, and there were many details that needed to be discussed with Zhenbao separately.

Mo Chou was about to step forward to follow, but was stopped by Sun Lianying: “What are you going to do?”

“I am inseparable from Her Majesty,” Mo Chou retorted.

Sun Lianying said lightly: “Unless you want to be a bed-warming servant.”

Mo Chou's expression froze.

Sun Lianying covered her mouth and suddenly coughed—the journey was too much of a burden for him.

… …

… …

Imperial Study.

Zhao Du'an stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him. Only the monarch and her subject were left in the room.

And the curling smoke from the incense burner in the air.

Xu Zhenguan walked briskly and personally pulled a chair over, the corners of her mouth raised: “Meritorious official, sit down.”

Zhao Du'an was flattered and sat down with a smile:

“Throughout history, there have been many monarchs who have granted seats to their subjects, but there must be very few monarchs who have pulled chairs for their subjects.”

I say you're fat, and you're already panting… Xu Zhenguan rolled her eyes, but she was in a rare good mood and didn't bother to argue with him.

She turned around and sat gracefully behind the yellow desk, and once again looked at him carefully from top to bottom, and said: “Not injured?”

“No.” Zhao Du'an adopted a nonchalant attitude, “Who is your imperial husband? How could I…”

The Empress sneered: “So strong? Why don't you spar with me a few moves and see how much your cultivation has improved?”

Zhao Du'an's expression froze, he smiled sheepishly, and hurriedly restrained his complacent and flamboyant posture, his legs together, his back straight, focusing on being obedient .jpg

Joke, fighting with a Celestial Being, unless it's in bed, wouldn't that be courting death?

Oh, considering that dual cultivation will automatically drain him, it seems like it's courting death in bed too…

Men are too difficult.

The Empress looked at his re-obedient appearance, hummed, and her brows relaxed: “Prince Heng was not easy to capture, right? After you left, I received news that he had a treasure called the Scarlet Flame Holy Armor…”

You know? I still wanted to show off… Zhao Du'an felt bored, reached into his arms, took out the Grand Void Illusion Realm scroll, and shook it gently.

An ancient half-body armor with a scarlet color and a black human face pattern on the chest fell to the ground.

“This subject was about to offer it to Your Majesty. This thing is a bit powerful. That Prince Heng has mediocre cultivation, but he can drive this thing to suppress the World Realm, which is simply unreasonable. I don't know why it is so powerful. This subject tried to use it, but it is far inferior,” Zhao Du'an said.

Although he had heard the name of this thing, he did not know the specific details.

On the way back, he also tried to explore it, but as a martial artist, he knew nothing about such treasures and magical artifacts.

As for asking Pei Niannu… this female magician ignored him. Although Zhao Du'an could forcibly summon her to fight, he could not force her to speak.

“Not surprisingly, you will understand when you see this.” Xu Zhenguan took out a scroll from her sleeve and handed it to him.

What is this… Zhao Du'an took it with both hands and found that the book cover was written with “Records of the Fire Worship Sect”. When he opened it, the front was all about the overview of the Jianghu organization “Fire Worship Sect” six hundred years ago.

Xu Zhenguan explained:

“The special thing about this treasure is that it can melt other magical artifacts, even weapons, rare treasures, iron and stone… of no higher rank than it… the more you put into it, the more powerful the mana accumulated inside it.

The reason why Prince Heng was so powerful in the battle with you was that he consumed the vast mana accumulated in the past. Now that this time has been consumed, there is not much mana left inside this armor. Of course, it is not as good as when you use it.”

So the battery is exhausted, and it's quite energy-conserving… Zhao Du'an felt that the cultivation in this world was quite “scientific”.

Then he heard Xu Zhenguan laugh:

“You control the Profound Tortoise Seal, and then take this, with water and fire matching, and simultaneously urging the two gods of water and fire, there may be wonderful effects. I will give it to you.”

It's useless to give it to me. It's already very difficult for me to support a Pei Niannu… Zhao Du'an was about to complain, but when he met Xu Zhenguan's eyes, he suddenly understood something:

“Your Majesty means that I can also feed it, so that when fighting, this armor can consume its own mana to maintain it, without me having to supply it?”

Zhao Du'an was shocked by this idea.

If the idea comes true, in the future, when encountering powerful enemies, Zhao Du'an himself is a worldly martial artist, and then he can control the Profound Tortoise Seal through Pei Niannu's hands, controlling the water god.

Then, with the Scarlet Flame Holy Armor, he can control the fire god without consumption. Isn't that equivalent to three worlds working together?

Moreover, Zhao Du'an also has resources to feed this armor—when he was in Hundred Flowers Village, he collected a pile of magical artifacts from the Cave of Bewitching True Person. After the battle, the Empress killed a large group of pursuers and seized a large pile of magical artifacts.

He has kept them in his hands and has no place to use them. Wouldn't it be just right to use them to feed the Scarlet Flame Holy Armor?

“Gulp…” Zhao Du'an swallowed and looked at the armor with burning eyes, reached out to put it away, and said with a hippie smile:

“Then this subject will not be polite.”

Xu Zhenguan smiled and said:

“At the back of this book in your hand, there are specific feeding and melting formations. Go back and ponder it yourself.”

This topic was skipped, and Zhao Du'an remembered another thing and took the initiative to say: “By the way, this subject also has something to offer to Your Majesty.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“The head of the Xiao family in Donghu, Xiao Dong'er.”

Is it her? The Empress raised her eyebrows and her eyes changed.

… …

ps: First restore the update of 5,000 words, and slowly speed up. In addition, I can't help but laugh when I think of the plot of the Empress being jealous that I will write next.