The First Lackey Under The Empress

Dead… dead…

At this moment, the entire venue was silent, with only Zhao Du'an's voice echoing in the air.

People stared blankly at the corpse lying on its back on the ground, blood gradually spreading and staining the floor.

"Ah," someone exclaimed almost instinctively, only to have their mouth quickly covered by the person next to them.

They dared not speak loudly, fearing to startle the celestial beings!

The old master of the Lu family suddenly trembled, lowered his gaze, and the hand placed on his knees under the table clenched tightly… clenched tightly…

The Lu family members, including the eldest and second sons, who were inwardly extremely dissatisfied with their grandfather's decision to hand over half of the family fortune, were all silent at this moment, a bone-chilling coldness rising from their spines.

They finally understood why their grandfather was so obsequious towards Zhao Du'an.

This man was truly capable of killing, and he would not hesitate to do so.

The esteemed owner of a rice shop, who was well-known even within the Linfeng Road, was killed just like that.

And judging from Sun Xiaozhun's manner of announcing the charges, he seemed to have known it all along.

This was a premeditated slaughter.

Killing the chicken to scare the monkeys.

This phrase popped into everyone's mind.

"It seems that no one has any further objections." Zhao Du'an held the executioner's blade, waited for dozens of breaths, and only then did a satisfied smile reappear on his face:

"Since that's the case, then it's decided so happily. This Inspector knew that there wouldn't be many such moths who openly violate the law, drive up prices, and profit from the war.

This official originally planned to publicly execute him later, but unexpectedly, this person was so audacious as to jump out on his own accord. Helplessly, I had to send him to the afterlife ahead of schedule. I hope the Old Master doesn't mind that he dirtied the Lu mansion's floor?"

Old Master Lu stood up, cupped his hands in salute:

"The Inspector is eliminating harm for the people. This old man is more than happy to applaud. How could I mind?"

"Good!" Zhao Du'an laughed loudly, and with a 'shing' sound, the bright executioner's blade returned to its sheath: "Worthy of being the leading philanthropist of the prefecture city, what a spirit."

At this time, the money manager of Datong Money Shop, who had been frightened silly, stood up tremblingly:

"This commoner is willing to emulate the Lu family and donate half of my family fortune. My family also has many oddities that are displayed as antiques. I will return immediately and order people to offer them to the Inspector."

He was cowed, only wanting to leave this bloody place as soon as possible.

Zhao Du'an said displeased:

"What do you mean by offering it to this official? It's all for the great cause of suppressing the rebellion. Besides, what kind of logic is it that guests scatter before the banquet is over?

How about this, everyone here has brought family members or servants. Why not write a letter and send someone back to your respective residences to handle the donation? We should continue eating and drinking, so as not to waste this delicious food."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Xiaozhun gave a look, and the constables guarding the door immediately drew their swords and sealed off the courtyard.

Everyone's heart sank, a sense of panic spreading, realizing that King Yama Zhao was worried that they would play tricks, so he was holding hostages.

What donation? It was simply paying money to redeem people's lives.

But the situation was stronger than people, and the corpse in the hall was still warm, so no one dared to raise any objections.

"Prefect Sun," Zhao Du'an stood with his blade and said to Sun Xiaozhun:

"I'll have to trouble you with the matter of dispatching soldiers and collecting the donated money and goods."

Sun Xiaozhun nodded in agreement with a complex expression, walking out expressionlessly.

As a local prefect, he had the courage to understand that after today, he, the prefect, had become an enemy of the gentry of the entire city.

In order to avoid trouble afterwards, he had to take advantage of the army's suppression of the city and use this "fundraising" to abolish these gentry, and then support a new group of gentry to secure his position.

Since there was no turning back, he also showed a ruthless side.

The grain supervisor Zhao Shande was named by the prefect, stood up to go out, suddenly remembered something, turned his head and hesitated to look at Zhao Du'an:

"This Kangzhuang Rice Shop… is it also donating half?"

Zhao Du'an said indifferently:

"Since he has been beheaded according to the law, then simply confiscate his family property."

Immediately, he smiled and put down the executioner's blade, stepped to the main seat of the banquet round table, sat down with a golden sword, instructed the servants to carry the corpse away, and raised his glass with a smile:

"Everyone, don't be nervous. As long as you support the suppression of the rebellion, I believe you must not be people who violate the law."

The gentry raised their glasses with forced smiles on their faces, their bodies icy cold.

Old Master Lu drank it all in one gulp, and when he put down the cup, he saw the red lanterns under the blue sky, and thought:

The world is changing.

… …

… …

In the Prefectural Office, inside the "Temporary Command Post", the lights were brightly lit.

The generals led by Xue Shence were still discussing the battle plan, not even having time to take a bite of food.

"What happened?" Xue Shence leaned over the sand table, suddenly straightened up, and frowned as he looked outside.

Shi Meng, Yuan Feng and others also heard the noise coming from outside. Someone pushed open the door, and in the night, a large group of soldiers were lined up holding torches.

Xue Shence's heart tightened, thinking that an accident had occurred. He walked a few steps to the door and happened to see an official from the Prefectural Office walking in a hurry. He raised his hand to stop him and asked. The latter first cupped his hands in salute before explaining:

"Reporting to the Privy Councilor, it is the order issued by the Prefect to mobilize the garrison troops in the city to collect military rations, silver, and other items overnight."

Mo Chou also walked out of the room, and asked in confusion: "Why such a big fanfare?"

After a brief rest, she returned here again.

The official smiled bitterly:

"This subordinate just received the news and doesn't know the details.

I only know that Governor Zhao is holding a banquet in the Lu Mansion in the city, gathering the prominent gentry in the city, saying it is to raise military rations and military expenses for the suppression of the rebellion…

The gentry are enthusiastically donating, each family donating at least half of their family fortune, so more manpower is needed…"

Mo Chou, Xue Shence, Shi Meng, Yuan Feng and others were all stunned.

Suspecting that they had misheard.

Donate half of their family fortune?

When did this group of local snakes become so enlightened?

But they were not fools. After a little thought, they realized that Zhao Du'an must be putting pressure on them, "forcibly seizing and plundering".

"Worthy of being Governor Zhao, these local bandits each harbor their own ulterior motives. Unexpectedly, Governor Zhao didn't even wait a day after entering the city before bringing people to justice." A general clapped his hands and praised.

"Indeed, it's the Governor's style." Shi Meng sighed:

"I was still planning to discuss military rations and supplies tomorrow, but now there is no need to worry about it in the short term."

Xue Shence also acquiesced. As the commander-in-chief, he didn't want to interfere in local government affairs to avoid suspicion.

Although Zhao Du'an's actions were too激烈, he had no reason not to support him if he could get sufficient military expenses.

"Understood, go and be busy."

Mo Chou frowned slightly. Although she felt something was wrong, when she thought of Zhao Du'an's style of arresting officials at every turn when he was in the capital, she was not surprised.

It was something he could do.

"Now that logistics are worry-free, we can implement the plan we discussed earlier with confidence." Yuan Feng said in a deep voice:

"Governor Zhao and Prefect Sun are working together to ensure logistics, and the Privy Councilor and I are fighting to defeat the enemy. The division of labor is clear, and we will surely be invincible."

In their conversation, everyone defaulted that Zhao Du'an's actions were to ensure logistics.

And the core responsibility of defeating the enemy and killing the bandits was shouldered by Xue Shence.

No one could have guessed Zhao Du'an's real purpose in doing this.

"Okay, in that case, let's proceed according to the plan." Xue Shence nodded.

He turned around and looked at the sand table, only to see that the imperial soldiers in the sand table were divided into three teams, attacking from three directions respectively.

These were three sets of tactical plans, which would be implemented simultaneously in order to achieve a quick victory, with Wei Xianzong's Dare-to-Die Camp placed at the end.

… …

At the same time.

Under the command of Sun Xiaozhun, a large group of soldiers were divided into teams, carrying carriages, and rushed to various mansions and shops in the city.

A large amount of food and money was transported to the imperial treasury. At the same time, the oddities that Zhao Du'an needed were also gradually loaded onto the carriages and sent to the Lu Mansion.

After a thrilling banquet, Zhao Du'an finally let go of these gentry.

Even though the entire "donation" had not yet been completed, on the one hand, such a large-scale transfer of wealth could not be completed in a short time.

Secondly, many mobilizations required these gentry to do it themselves.

After all, Zhao Du'an was not a demon. It was impossible to really send people to the door to plunder at will.

Everything had to abide by the rules and be in accordance with the rules, otherwise what would the imperial court become? What would he, Zhao, become?

"In the next two days, Prefect Sun will have to work harder to prevent these people from being dishonest and playing tricks to hide their property."

In the Lu Mansion's other courtyard, Zhao Du'an stood with his hands behind his back, standing beside the pond, calmly said.

Sun Xiaozhun stood behind him, the black and thin prefect's face fierce:

"Don't worry, sir, this subordinate will definitely do this well. These big families have accumulated a lot over the past hundred years, and the oddities related to cultivation are more valuable than gold."

"Very good, order people to send them in, I will live in the Lu Mansion these days." Zhao Du'an raised his hand to pick a water lily from the pond, tore it into petals, and scattered it in the water reflecting the red lanterns.

Sun Xiaozhun did not inquire about the use of these strange objects. He knew that Zhao Du'an was a cultivator in this world, and naturally assumed that he was collecting these items to enhance himself.

He immediately turned and went out to make arrangements.

After the man left, Zhao Du'an's one eyeball suddenly turned silver, outlining the figure of the Bride in Red sorceress in the sky above the pond, invisible to ordinary people.

Pei Niannu, barefoot, hovered above the water, coldly scrutinizing him:

"You… … again… … do… … what… …"

"I have found a large number of objects that can continue to melt and refine the Scarlet Flame Holy Armor. I want to ask, besides this, what else can I do to prepare?"

Zhao Du'an asked calmly.

Pei Niannu was stunned for a moment, as if surprised, and said:

"Black Tortoise Seal… … throw into the water… … absorb… …"

A moment later, the figure of the sorceress disappeared into the night. The Black Tortoise Seal possessed a special ability, which was to absorb and store a large amount of water within the suppressing object.

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According to her explanation, if he wanted to summon clouds and rain, he could fill the Black Tortoise Seal as much as possible, which would save a lot of mana.

Zhao Du'an threw the torn petals into the pond, raised his right hand, and the light twisted, as an ancient and simple cyan-black seal slowly emerged and rotated.

"All the arrangements are to avoid the worst-case scenario. I hope I won't need to take action."

Muttering softly, he threw the Black Tortoise Seal into the pond. In an instant, a vortex appeared on the calm surface of the pond, like a black hole.

The pond water was quickly swallowed, the water level dropped, exposing the mud and plant roots at the bottom of the pond. Zhao Du'an activated the Black Tortoise Seal, using his water control ability to draw out underground river water from the connected well at the bottom of the pond to replenish it.

He raised his hand, and a chair under the eaves spun and flew over.

Zhao Du'an sat in the chair, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, gradually lost in thought.

He decided to stay in the Lu residence for a few days, both to have a separate space to melt and refine the Holy Armor, and to tightly bind the Lu family to himself.

"Will a large family like this put all their eggs in one basket? I'm afraid they have already been secretly colluding with the rebels, but as long as I am here, the Lu family can only sit at the imperial court's table and won't be able to stir up any waves."

… …

… …

The night passed without incident.

The next day, Xue Shence began to mobilize troops on a small scale, probing attacks, both to paralyze the enemy and to give the Jingying soldiers a rest and preparation time window.

On the same day, the imperial court and the rebels engaged in small-scale battles, with the imperial court gaining the upper hand, but did not rashly launch a fierce attack.

Sun Xiaozhun was extremely busy, dealing with logistics issues.

The commander of the rebel side, the "Juren General" Su Dan, was stationed in Ning'an County, transferring supplies in an orderly manner, making arrangements to burn the city, and constantly withdrawing the main force.

The assassin Nie Yurong sat idly in the government office for a day, unable to see Zhao Du'an.

This day was almost "peaceful and uneventful."

However, everyone knew that this was just the prelude to a storm, and beneath the calm surface was a surging torrent.

… …

The third day.

At dawn, when the sky was darkest, the Jingying quietly set out, divided into three routes, according to Xue Shence's arrangement, to launch a large-scale counterattack.

In the darkness, on a hill somewhere in the suburbs, Wei Xianzong, dressed in military attire and with a sharp blade hanging from his waist, scanned the Dare-to-Die Camp members standing in rows in front of him.

Each soldier exuded a fierce aura, all elites selected from the Jingying. To make their movements swift, they only wore soft armor, had no mounts, and carried only knives and swords instead of firearms.

In front of the soldiers, before Wei Xianzong, was a large wooden barrel, currently open, with stacks of wine bowls on a table next to it.

"Today, I will lead you to infiltrate the enemy camp like a sharp knife, paving the way for the main force behind us. We are entering dangerous territory alone, hence the name Dare-to-Die!"

Wei Xianzong's eyes were sharp, his voice sonorous and infectious:

"Drink this wine to the fullest, and depart immediately. I have nothing else to promise, except for one sentence: In this raid, I will charge at the forefront. If I retreat, you may kill me!"

As he spoke, he took the lead in picking up a bowl, filling it with wine. One by one, the soldiers followed suit, and shouted in a low voice:

"We will have no regrets even in death!"

The entire camp simultaneously raised their heads and drank the cold wine, smashing the wine bowls on the ground.

"Pa, pa, pa… …"

Wei Xianzong drew his sword, turned around, and pointed it towards a town in the darkness ahead.

This was Wuhua Town, an important military town in front of Wenshui County, and also an outpost on the front line.

At this moment, the darkness before dawn gradually dissipated. Wei Xianzong led the entire Dare-to-Die Camp, like ghosts, or like a black river, quietly approaching the town.

Behind the low city walls outside Wuhua Town, rebel soldiers were on guard, with torches burning in the darkness.

They were not the rebels from Yunfu, but the original officers and soldiers of the Wenshui County Patrol Department, who had surrendered after being captured by the rebels and became "puppet troops."

These past two days, the morale of the "puppet troops" was extremely low, and a sense of unease was brewing beneath the surface.

Because they learned that the imperial court's reinforcements had arrived, and Su Dan might not be able to hold on and would run away. The objects that were being transported over to burn the city were evidence of this.

Of course, the burning of the city plan was only circulating in the military, and the people in the occupied areas were unaware of it.

Suddenly, the black dogs lying behind the city wall all perked up their ears and barked wildly towards outside the city.

The rebels of the Patrol Department were immediately startled and their drowsiness dissipated, and they immediately became chaotic.

Someone standing on a high watchtower vaguely saw someone approaching and tried to beat the gong, but unexpectedly an arrow shot from the darkness, piercing his heart with a 'poof' and helplessly falling down the watchtower.

The rebels were shocked. Most of them were archers, but at this moment it was dark and they could not shoot arrows. They hurriedly got up, only to see a group of enemies had already climbed over the low "city wall."

"Enemy—" someone was about to shout, but was suddenly held down by a companion from the Patrol Department next to him:

"What are you shouting for? Can we hold them off with just one outpost town? We might as well surrender."

A group of "puppet troops" had no intention of fighting, let alone the idea of fighting to the death. They tacitly squatted down one by one, hugging their heads, tying their hands, and declaring their former identities as members of the Patrol Department.

Some even directed their companions:

"Quick, kill those dogs, lest they disturb the brothers of the Jingying."

"And those bows and crossbows, take them all apart and send them to the adults of the Jingying, and be quick about it!"

This scene stunned the soldiers of the Dare-to-Die Camp who had sneaked into the town.

Everyone looked at each other. They had even drunk the farewell wine before taking action, and the atmosphere was fully in place. But the defense of this Wuhua Town was terribly weak. Was it okay to surrender directly?

"Boss, do we still kill?" A soldier asked the deputy of the Dare-to-Die Camp.

The latter said unhappily:

"Kill my ass, tie them all up and wait for the team behind to take over. Hey, where's Boss Wei?"

Wei Xianzong was gone.

… …

At this moment, in the best house in Wuhua Town, Chen Yong, the garrison commander stationed here, was awakened by the barking of dogs.

He hurriedly put on his clothes and walked out of the room in his slippers.

As one of Su Dan's trusted aides, he was responsible for garrisoning this town.

However, since yesterday, the elite troops in the town had begun to withdraw. He did not leave, one was to cover the retreat of the main force, and the other was to arrange the burning of the town.

"Knock knock."

The courtyard door was knocked, and an urgent voice came in:

"Commander, there is a situation, suspected imperial court scouts are approaching!"

What?

Chen Yong was shocked and quickly walked out, picking up his saber in the process, and asked: "What is the situation now?"

"It's okay for now, but the brothers are uneasy, so… …"

"A bunch of rabble!" Chen Yong said angrily, pulled open the latch, and pushed open the courtyard door, only to see a confidant standing outside the door with trembling legs. Behind him, a faint smell of blood floated in the air.

Not good—

Chen Yong's heart raised an alarm, and he slashed his saber towards the outside of the door almost without hesitation. The confidant screamed and fell to the ground, but he did not see the enemy.

"You killed the wrong person." A cold voice sounded from behind.

Chen Yong was horrified and was about to turn around, but saw a long knife had pierced his heart.

Wei Xianzong pulled out his knife, frowned as he looked at Chen Yong lying on the ground, gurgling in his throat, and tightened his brow:

"The main force has already begun to withdraw. Leaving you people behind is just a cover. Su Dan never intended to fight the imperial court. He just wanted to run. Xue Shence and the others were deceived by this Su Dan. They should have sent troops yesterday."

At this time, a group of Dare-to-Die Camp soldiers ran over from outside the courtyard. After seeing Wei Xianzong had personally killed the Wuhua Town commander, they breathed a sigh of relief:

"Boss, the defense of this town is too lax. It's a bit too smooth. What do we do next?"

Wei Xianzong pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his head, revealing a strange smile:

"Are you interested in doing something big?"