The First Lackey Under The Empress

Having eliminated two enemies, gained the Empress's recognition, and acquired a weapon and Shu silk… Zhao Du'an could be said to have gained a great deal.

He immediately expressed his gratitude, his expression invigorated, verifying the feasibility of the idea of gaining merit to improve his strength.

"Alright, step back," the Empress waved her hand to dismiss him, her smile fading.

Digging out one worm doesn't mean the end; it often indicates that there are more worms lurking.

Next, in the imperial court, a storm of blood was clearly about to be stirred up again.

I could chat a little longer… Zhao Du'an was reluctant to leave, but respectfully took his leave.

This walk and chat with the Empress meant that the relationship between the two had taken another step forward, but too much of anything is as bad as too little, moderation is key… This was an important lesson he had learned in his previous life.

…

The "female prime minister" Mo Chou went to the Celestial Master's Mansion, and this time Zhao Du'an went to the Martial Arts Hall, led by a female official.

When the late Emperor was in power, female officials were inconspicuous, only responsible for the internal affairs of the harem. After the Empress ascended the throne, the power structure in the palace underwent a major reshuffle.

The female official group, led by Mo Chou, divided the power of the eunuchs, but most of the tasks involving leaving the palace were still done by eunuchs.

"You came faster than this old one imagined."

When Zhao Du'an saw Eunuch Hai for the second time, this old eunuch, who had been lurking in the deep palace and serving the royal family for over a hundred years, said in surprise.

With a head of white hair, a slightly hunched figure, a fair face without a beard, and a bright red python robe, he was extremely conspicuous.

His temperament was no different from the last time.

"Just luck," Zhao Du'an said modestly, not daring to underestimate the other party.

Eunuch Hai's eyes were meaningful:

"It's better for young people to have some edge; being too humble is hypocrisy."

He did not doubt the Empress's vision.

After Zhao Du'an was recommended as a "tribute," the Empress personally inquired about it, which made the old eunuch even more certain that the person in front of him was a potential dragon.

And after he inquired and learned about Zhao Du'an's terrible reputation in the capital, this premonition became even stronger.

But even so, he never thought that only a few days later, the other party would have the opportunity to come here again.

In his memory, this was absolutely unique.

Heh… You say that, but if I really showed off my sharpness, you wouldn't like it… Zhao Du'an slandered in his heart, disagreeing.

On his face, he showed a look of being taught, sighing:

"Most people in the world like humility and low profile, and hate mediocre people who show off their sharpness. This junior mixes in the secular world and inevitably goes along with the crowd, but like you, Eunuch, who dislikes hypocrisy and appreciates the sharpness of the younger generation, there are very few."

The python-robed old eunuch felt comfortable and nodded proudly:

"This statement is not false."

Tch… Sure enough, he also likes flattery… Zhao Du'an was too lazy to complain and stopped talking nonsense:

"Your Majesty has now allowed me to take a magical weapon from the armory to protect myself. I will have to trouble you, Eunuch."

Eunuch Hai smacked his lips, still feeling unsatisfied: "Come with this old one."

Stepping into the "Armory" courtyard again, the ancient cypresses and pines were full of ancient charm.

Zhao Du'an was led to a house, and saw the words "Martial Bing" in large gilded characters on the door plaque.

"The palace's armory has secret treasures, each with its own category. Martial artists choosing weapons should choose those that match their own realm, martial skills, and temperament."

Eunuch Hai walked with his hands behind his back: "Forcibly accepting swords and weapons that exceed one's own realm is more harmful than beneficial. The weapons here are most suitable for you at this moment."

Is that so? I suspect that the reason you say that is just that you don't want to give me good things… Zhao Du'an speculated with the heart of a villain.

Eunuch Hai took out the key and opened the copper lock. The seemingly ordinary lock was actually alive, with a human face protruding, being poked and grinning.

"Squeak."

The door opened, and inside were mahogany display shelves, on which were placed knives and swords, or wooden boxes, and on the walls were hung spears and bows and arrows.

At first glance, they were all of extraordinary quality, dazzling.

"Choose one."

Zhao Du'an suffered from choice difficulty, pondered slightly, and said:

"I heard that the talismans held by warlocks are full of spirituality. Do martial artists' magic weapons also have spirituality?"

Eunuch Hai glanced at him and smiled:

"You kid is quite greedy. That's right, there are indeed very few magic weapons that have spirituality. They can be driven by martial artists of high rank, but there are not many suitable for the Mortal Embryo Realm."

Zhao Du'an was disappointed for a while.

The next moment, Eunuch Hai changed his tone:

"But you kid is indeed lucky. There is really one here that meets your requirements."

Zhao Du'an suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with the word "covetous."

Eunuch Hai smiled, picked up a treasure box covered in dust from the shelf, and joked:

"I was planning to give you this one. When Your Majesty issued the decree, this old one knew that this one was the most suitable."

Zhao Du'an lifted the box, and saw a palm-sized, dark golden flying knife lying on the silk cloth, luxurious and restrained, with excellent workmanship.

"This thing is called 'Golden Crow'. It is a rare weapon with shallow spirituality. It can be infused with Qi and guided by thought, as easy as using one's arms and fingers, extremely sharp and indestructible," said Eunuch Hai.

Zhao Du'an operated according to his words.

"Buzz—"

In the dim room, golden thin lines cut through the air, the flying knife pulled out afterimages, and flew around Zhao Du'an on its own, as if jumping for joy.

So fast… Suitable for sneak attacks… It's a pity that the control distance is limited, Zhao Du'an praised in his heart, but complained on his lips:

"I don't lack hidden weapons, I want a hand-held weapon."

Eunuch Hai smiled and said: "Why don't you try it."

Zhao Du'an tried to clench the golden knife in his palm, infusing it with Qi. The palm-sized flying knife suddenly stretched out, turning into a narrow short knife, sharp and intimidating.

"Two forms?"

Zhao Du'an's eyes lit up, his palm clenched tightly, the Golden Crow dimmed, and returned to its inconspicuous state:

"This is the one!"

…

A moment later, watching Zhao Du'an's back leave, the python-robed old eunuch stroked the empty treasure box with his skinny hand, feeling lost.

"The magic weapon used by the Great Ancestor in his early years, you got it cheap…"

"Your Majesty is really partial to you, interesting."

"Heh, still putting a high hat on this old one, flattering and fawning, does he really think this old one can't hear it? Oily tongue and glib talk."

Eunuch Hai shook his head, then smiled.

It's been too lonely for too long, it feels good to have a younger generation come and talk from time to time.

…

Imperial City Gate.

Zhao Du'an hid the "Golden Crow" in his inner pocket, feeling satisfied, and his steps were a few points lighter as he walked.

"I don't need to worry about the follow-up of the case. What happens later is a matter for Ma Yan and others."

"It's a pity that I couldn't stay for dinner this time. I still miss the way the Empress eats."

"Well, I don't know if that Jin Jian priest will come again… Never mind, even if she's hiding next to me, I won't suffer if she watches me take a bath."

Turning his messy thoughts, Zhao Du'an walked through the gate.

But he didn't see Zhou Cang, only a low-key and luxurious four-horse carriage parked outside the Imperial City gate.

According to the etiquette specifications of the Great Yu:

The Son of Heaven drives six, the feudal lords drive five, the ministers drive four, the doctors drive three, the scholars drive two, and the commoners drive one.

If exceeded, it would be a major crime.

A four-horse carriage… a big shot at the level of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers… Zhao Du'an looked curiously, wondering who was waiting here.

Suddenly, a servant outside the carriage walked straight over and said respectfully:

"Envoy Zhao, my lord invites you."

Deliberately waiting for me?

Zhao Du'an was stunned, and a bizarre thought suddenly rose.

"May I ask who is on the carriage…" he asked cautiously.

Immediately, the thick car curtain was lifted by a jade Ruyi, revealing the Censor-in-chief in the car wearing a blue coat with a front opening, an official hat, elegant and handsome, with a smile on his face.

Yuan Li smiled and said: "We meet again."

Thank you for the 500 coin reward from Xicheng Xue Erlang, and the 500 coin reward from Ni Ruo An Kang Bian Shi Qing Tian.