The First Lackey Under The Empress

“You flatter me, Lord Yuan.”

Inside the main hall, Zhao Du'an, upon hearing this praise, was overwhelmed with gratitude, “It's just luck.”

The leader of the "Purist Party," who single-handedly controlled the Censorate, shook his head:

“Is it luck? No, it is not.”

Beneath his seemingly calm face was a suppressed astonishment and admiration.

Were Zhao Du'an's accomplishments merely due to luck?

Superficially, it seemed too coincidental that just when he needed to deal with Vice Minister Pei, Wu Lang's weakness conveniently presented itself.

But upon closer examination, if Zhao Du'an hadn't spent a year tarnishing his reputation and genuinely becoming accepted by the playboy circle,

How would he have had the opportunity to meet Pei Wu Lang?

Or gain his trust?

He had laid the groundwork for over a year to obtain today's seemingly "easy" leverage. How could this be attributed to mere luck?

Of course, what Yuan Li truly admired was Zhao Du'an's entire "divide and conquer" strategy.

It seemed simple, but in reality, it was like dancing on the edge of a blade.

The slightest flaw in acting, a hint of weakness, failing to deceive Pei Kai Zhi, and everything would be in vain.

But he managed to pull it off. In just a few days, he secretly took a bite and tore Pei Kai Zhi, leaving him bleeding profusely.

Especially Zhao Du'an's last sentence, turning Lü Liang's "conspiracy into a stratagem," was even more to the liking of this powerful minister.

Intrigues and schemes are ultimately not presentable.

Only those who are good at using stratagems are qualified to be top chess players.

Yuan Li himself didn't realize that, to some extent, he had placed Zhao Du'an in the same position as himself, as a "chess player."

Chess player or chess piece, only one word difference, but the difference is worlds apart.

What he didn't expect was that this casual move he made on a whim would bring such a generous gift in just a few days.

“Where is Lü Liang?” Yuan Li asked.

“He has been handed over to the stewards of your residence for custody.”

“Very good,” Yuan Li stood up and paced in the main hall, seemingly thinking. After a moment, he said:

“I will handle the next steps. You go back and wait patiently for the results. If Pei Kai Zhi seeks trouble with you, this official will shield you.

If everything goes smoothly, there may be excitement to watch in the next few days. Once the dust settles, I will personally take you to petition His Majesty for merit.”

As of now, Empress Xu Zhenguan is still unaware of this.

“I will leave everything to Lord Yuan.”

Zhao Du'an stood up and cupped his fist, not worried that the dignified Grand Censor would steal his credit.

As for the upcoming struggles, his level was too low. Rashly getting involved would be tantamount to seeking death.

That was a battle exclusively for true big shots. He didn't want to die; it was best to play it safe.

The two didn't waste any more words. Yuan Li went to see Lü Liang.

Zhao Du'an left Yuan's residence but didn't leave immediately. Instead, he waited for a while on the rooftop in the distance.

He only saw officials swarming out not long after, scattering with murderous intent.

“Ah, sneeze.”

Zhao Du'an stretched lazily, jumped off the rooftop, floated onto the horse's back like a falling leaf, and patted the horse's upturned rump:

“Home, sleep!”

… …

… …

The next morning, after Zhao Du'an went to the yamen, he heard two things.

First, someone accidentally saw Pei Kai Zhi seemingly visiting Li Yanfu last night.

Second, Lü Liang was missing, and those involved were tight-lipped.

Pei Kai Zhi didn't come to make trouble for him, it was unknown whether Yuan Li had blocked him or he was already overwhelmed.

In the next few days, a major event occurred in the imperial court.

One morning court session, the missing Lü Liang suddenly appeared and impeached his "former father-in-law," Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice Pei Kai Zhi, for ten counts of crimes, including corruption in the imperial examination and murder.

And he presented relevant case files and evidence as thick as a book.

For a time, it caused a sensation in the imperial court. Pei Kai Zhi refuted it on the spot, Li Yanfu sternly questioned it, and Yuan Li strongly supported his subordinate censor.

Empress Xu Zhenguan was furious and ordered the temporary detention of Pei Kai Zhi and twelve other people involved.

She ordered Yuan Li to take the lead, Ma Yan to execute, and the Court of Judicial Review to supervise, to jointly investigate this old case that was more than ten years old.

The court and the public were shaken.

The entire officialdom in the capital was either trembling or entering gossip mode.

The early morning court sessions in the next few days were even more exciting.

The "Li Party" led by Li Yanfu began to counterattack, questioning the authenticity of the evidence and throwing out dirt on their political enemies.

In one day, Lü Liang's dirt spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital, and the "star censor" persona he had worked so hard to build collapsed.

He became a rat crossing the street, hated by everyone.

The next day, twenty-one censors from the Censorate jointly submitted a memorial impeaching him, creating a huge momentum and launching a war of attrition. The court session became a battlefield for both sides.

Li Yanfu and Yuan Li personally entered the arena, and the students of the Imperial College stopped attending classes and hotly discussed state affairs in various literary gatherings and restaurants.

They argued endlessly.

“Brother, even in the brothels now, when they are surrounded by beauties, they are not talking about poetry and talent, romance, but this great drama of 'Father-in-law and Son-in-law Turning Against Each Other.' It can truly be said to be wonderfully unique.”

Qin Qiu, who was short and thin, looked wretched, and had a folding fan diagonally inserted into his silk collar behind his neck, clicked his tongue in amazement.

He was half-squatting, using an awkward posture, licking his face and standing on a section of the staircase.

This was an abandoned watchtower.

During wartime, it was used by the forbidden army to watch the wind. It had a good view and could overlook a large area of the surrounding streets.

Outside the watchtower was a winding wooden staircase.

Qin Qiu looked up with a flattering smile, his small eyes looking at Zhao Du'an, who was standing high up, leaning on the railing.

Zhao Du'an was holding half a watermelon, digging it with a spoon, occasionally spitting out the seeds with a "spit, spit."

The watermelon seeds fell on Qin Qiu's face, turning into freckles.

“Is that so?” He casually responded.

In his field of vision were continuous green tile roofs.

Under the sunlight, they reflected a deep blue light, like a sea.

It reminded him of Jiang Wen's movie "Hidden Man," the scene where Peng Yuyan was riding a bicycle on the rooftops of Beiping looking for a woman.

“Yes, yes,” Qin Qiu said with a flattering smile:

“I'm just telling you, brother. I heard that it's about to be settled. Probably tomorrow morning, His Majesty will make the final decision.”

Zhao Du'an said lightly:

“Is that kind of court politics, the fight between top big shots, something we can participate in?”

Qin Qiu nodded frantically and said enviously:

“I wonder when we can get into that circle.”

But what he didn't know was that Zhao Du'an, who was standing above his head, eating watermelon and watching the show, was the one who delivered the first blow in this major event that swept the entire officialdom.

“Spit, spit.” Zhao Du'an casually put half of the watermelon on Qin Qiu's head and jumped down:

“I'm going back to the yamen.”

Qin Qiu, with a watermelon head and a face full of bright red juice, murmured:

“Brother, there's no need to rush to improve yourself.”

… …

On the way to the White Horse Prison, Zhao Du'an bought two jars of osmanthus wine and a large package of meat and vegetables.

A while ago, he learned that the old Director Si came to find him and left in disappointment, probably due to a misunderstanding.

Before the matter was settled, he didn't plan to explain to avoid complications.

But since this protracted storm was about to end tomorrow morning.

Then he didn't mind finding someone to eat and wait with, sharing the unknown joy, waiting to enter the palace tomorrow to receive the reward—provided that the "Slay Pei" operation was successful.

It had been a long time since he had seen the Empress, and he missed her quite a bit.

However, when Zhao Du'an, carrying wine and vegetables and smiling, stepped into the back yamen when the sun was setting, Sun Lianying threw a roll of books at him:

“Get out!”

… …

Transitional chapter, going to the palace tomorrow. Speaking of which, this kind of transitional chapter will be slower in rhythm, which is not conducive to chasing updates, but I quite like it. . Then, thank you for your praise yesterday. I looked at the chasing updates today, and it started to rise again… …

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