The First Lackey Under The Empress

Zhao Du'an had been in Zhao Capital's Imperial Tribunal for six days.

Early morning, the red sun in the East Sea arched out of the clouds.

In the Royal Garden, for six hundred years, countless manpower and resources were spent to transplant rare and exotic plants from all over the Great Yu. Now, on their branches and leaves, crystal dewdrops rolled off.

In the pond, schools of golden koi carp scrambled for fish food.

The white-robed Empress stood by the pavilion, her fair hand holding a celadon fish food jar, delicate blue veins faintly visible beneath her pale skin.

Carelessly scattering the feed, she was a picture of beauty.

“Your Majesty, Duke Yuan has arrived.” A female official stepped forward to report from behind.

Xu Zhenguan didn't turn her head, focused on teasing the fish:

“Invite him in.”

Soon after, a figure in a wide-sleeved azure robe, led by a palace servant, followed the winding bluestone path, passing through the landscape of rocks and flowing water, surrounded by many attendants with lowered heads.

He arrived at the pavilion Zhao Du'an had seen that day.

The elegant and handsome Grand Censor, with deep eyes, smiled:

“Your Majesty seems to be in a good mood today. Has something interesting happened?”

Xu Zhenguan poured half a bowl of fish food into the pond, turned around, and the graceful and noble female emperor smiled playfully:

“Why does Duke Yuan ask what he already knows?”

The monarch and her minister exchanged a smile.

Both clearly understood what the other was referring to: the turmoil Zhao Du'an had stirred up in the past two days.

And the resolution of the farce in the early morning court.

Last night, when the Eight Divisions of Investigation, under the oppressive force of the Zhao bandit, had no choice but to yield and admit defeat, Zhao Du'an finally relented and mercifully released the remaining fifty-seven people.

In the court this morning, Director Ma Yan personally reported that the “misunderstanding” between the two sides had been resolved.

As for the officials, due to the huge bribes, they had no desire to investigate further, as it would lead to endless wrangling.

Both sides tacitly agreed to drop the matter, and the instigator, Zhao Du'an, only received a punishment of having his salary docked for three months, with a warning that there would be no leniency if he offended again.

Which was practically nothing.

A complete win.

And from beginning to end, the Empress and Yuan Li, sitting high above, watching the scenery and overlooking the storm, could not hide their joy at the sight of the officials led by the Li faction being humiliated.

They were two people enjoying the show.

The two entered the pavilion and sat opposite each other at the table.

Yuan Li smiled:

“Zhao Du'an has only been in the Imperial Tribunal for five or six days, and he has already gained a foothold and established himself. If his initial display of power only inspired fear in his subordinates, without truly convincing them, this incident must have greatly improved the situation.”

Sometimes, the observer has the clearest view of the game.

Before those in the midst of the situation could understand, Yuan Li had already guessed Zhao Du'an's true intentions.

But even so, when everything unfolded as he had predicted, this first-rank official still stroked his beard in admiration.

“It is easy to find a thousand soldiers, but hard to find a good general. Zhao Du'an's ability to manage his subordinates is a blessing for Your Majesty.”

Yuan Li lightly offered a compliment.

Xu Zhenguan was delighted.

Sometimes, when people say they don't like flattery, it's not that they truly dislike it, or that they find the methods of flattery lacking in skill and subtlety.

But that the person offering the flattery is of too low a status.

Coming from Yuan Li, a figure whose reputation for integrity was renowned throughout the Great Yu, admired by scholars everywhere, no one could resist such praise.

A faint smile appeared on Xu Zhenguan's flawless, jade-like face:

“Duke Yuan is jesting. It's just a mere Division of Investigation, some petty tricks that aren't worth mentioning. If that little Imperial Guard heard this, wouldn't he be so proud?”

A compliment disguised as a criticism.

On the surface, she said it was just a trivial Imperial Guard, not worth mentioning, a minor trick, but in reality, she was extremely satisfied.

In five or six days, he was able to subdue the Pear Blossom Hall, which had been a headache for Ma Yan for a long time.

Although it was not possible to make a horizontal comparison.

After all, Ma Yan's position was different, and he was subject to many restrictions in order to balance and take care of other halls, while Zhao Du'an was a pure outsider, with no such concerns.

But it was still worthy of praise as being incredibly fast.

This was something the Empress had not expected before.

However, if Zhao Du'an were here, he would definitely correct her with righteous indignation:

He would never be proud, even if he were, it wouldn't be…

“If there is a flaw, it is that his style of doing things is ultimately too rigid, not gentle enough.”

Xu Zhenguan calmly and objectively pointed out the flaw.

Yuan Li smiled:

“But Your Majesty had already anticipated this when you agreed to send him there.”

Xu Zhenguan said helplessly:

“I did think that he would stir up some trouble after taking my 'Imperial Sword,' but I didn't expect him to stir up so much trouble.”

Yuan Li smiled, gently stroking his beard, and sighed:

“This young man knows very well that he has Your Majesty's support, so he even dares to drive away the驸马.”

Mentioning the Princess of Yunyang, her “aunt,” Xu Zhenguan also sighed, feeling a bit of a headache.

She had always been mindful of family ties. Although her relationship with this aunt was not good, they were still related by blood.

It was not good to give her no face at all, so she had to hold back. She sighed, saying:

“Later, I will personally send an oral decree to the Imperial Tribunal to send Li Lang back. After suppressing him for so many days, my aunt has been nagging incessantly, it's so annoying.”

At this point in time, her order would not damage Zhao Du'an's prestige.

However, in doing so, Zhao Du'an had completely angered his aunt. She hoped that there would be no conflicts in the future.

Seeing the Empress's unhappy expression, Yuan Li changed the subject:

“According to what I know, Zhao Du'an has already asked the Eight Divisions for clues about the rebellious party. I'm afraid he intends to ferret out the internal spies.”

Obviously, as a staunch supporter of the Empress, he was also aware of Zhao Du'an's “hidden mission” in entering the Imperial Tribunal.

Mentioning serious matters, Xu Zhenguan's expression became a little serious, and her slender eyebrows furrowed:

“Does Duke Yuan think he can do it?”

Yuan Li asked in return:

“How much confidence does Your Majesty have in him?”

Xu Zhenguan hesitated slightly, her eyes darkened:

“If I only had a 10 or 20 percent chance before, then now, I have 50 percent.”

Yuan Li smiled:

“I am even more optimistic about him, and now I feel there is a 60 percent chance.

However… the Imperial Tribunal is a deep pool. Ma Yan has already probed many times, and the internal spies must have been alerted long ago. It will be too difficult for Zhao Du'an to investigate at this time, and he will probably need ample time.”

Xu Zhenguan asked curiously:

“How long does Duke Yuan think it will take for him to make some discoveries?”

Yuan Li pondered for a moment, then cautiously raised two fingers:

“At least two months.”

This was not an underestimate, but a prediction based on objective facts.

Xu Zhenguan shook her head:

“I am not as confident as Duke Yuan, but if he can really do it, I believe it will be within two months, and perhaps one month will be enough.”

One month… Yuan Li asked strangely: “Why does Your Majesty guess so?”

Xu Zhenguan snorted and said:

“Because I ordered him to capture Zhuang Xiaocheng before the end of the year. Therefore, he does not have enough patience to waste time. Moreover, Duke Yuan, haven't you noticed that he always works very quickly?”

Yuan Li was stunned for a moment, then smiled:

“Alright, then I will boldly bet with Your Majesty. How long will it take Zhao Du'an, one month or two months, to accomplish this?”

Xu Zhenguan's lips curled up slightly: “Agreed.”

Then she looked out of the palace, in the direction of the Imperial Tribunal, thinking, Little Imperial Guard, don't let me down.

… …

… …

“Achoo!”

Zhao Du'an sneezed, rubbed his nose, and muttered:

“Who is scolding me again.”

Forget it, there are many people in the world who scold him, and there are probably even more these days.

“Speaking of which, the beliefs and desires of the people can condense into gods, so if there are enough people who hate me, will they condense a 'Zhao God'…

Turning over this strange thought, Zhao Du'an's ears twitched, hearing footsteps approaching from outside the courtyard.

At this moment, he was in the backyard of the Imperial Tribunal's Chief Supervisor's Hall, which was also his good-for-nothing senior brother's private residence.

From the moment eunuchs entered the palace gates, they no longer had a “home.”

Just like Sun Lianying lived in the White Horse Prison's backyard.

Ma Yan also didn't have his own courtyard—the Empress had once bestowed one upon him, but it was rejected by the stern Grand Eunuch.

Therefore, he also considered the yamen his home.

Today, Zhao Du'an relied on his martial arts to avoid the eyes of others and secretly climbed over the wall, specifically waiting for him.

With a creak, the courtyard door opened.

A slender figure, with messy, graying eyebrows like barbs, a thin, long face, and a stern expression, the Supervising Eunuch stepped through the door.

His sharp gaze instantly locked onto Zhao Du'an, who was sitting casually on a stone stool in the center of the courtyard.

The powerful energy that had been rising in his chest and abdomen, sensing someone in the residence, flowed like a flood from an opened sluice gate, coursing through his meridians.

His imposing aura gradually subsided.

Ma Yan frowned: "Why have you come?"

With his hands behind his back, he gently pushed.

With a bang, the double doors of the courtyard slammed shut.

Zhao Du'an chuckled, pointing to the two boxes of "Drunken Moon Residence" pastries on the table, and said:

"Having nothing better to do, can't I come to visit my senior brother? Speaking of which, I've been in the yamen for several days now, yet I haven't met with senior brother even once. Even if it's to avoid suspicion, isn't it a bit much?"

Ma Yan remained expressionless, his eyes twitching slightly.

He was becoming increasingly agitated by the constant "senior brother" and "junior brother."

He opened his mouth, attempting to correct him, but seeing the smiling face before him, he reluctantly gave up, deciding to let it be.

"If you wish to visit, why not enter through the main gate? I've never heard of anyone breaking into someone's residence."

Ma Yan walked with tiger-like strides to the stone table and said coldly:

"What did Sun Lianying teach you?"

Zhao Du'an replied matter-of-factly:

"When I was in the White Horse Bureau, I often trespassed into Supervisor Sun's backyard as well."

"…" Ma Yan's face stiffened, underestimating the shamelessness of this kid.

Supervising Eunuch Ma and Old Supervisor Sun had vastly different personalities and were not prone to small talk or sentimentality.

However, Zhao Du'an knew that his cheap senior brother wasn't inherently bad.

According to Sun Lianying, Ma Yan had once received a life-saving grace from the Crown Prince. After entering the palace, more than twenty years had passed, during which time he had almost no contact with the Crown Prince.

But on the day of the coup, this small beggar, almost forgotten by the Crown Prince, who had casually helped him twenty years ago, silently stepped out, without a word, and took dozens of blows for the Crown Prince.

He nearly exhausted himself and died in battle.

This sense of gratitude alone meant that he couldn't be a cold and unfeeling person.

This was probably why the Empress dared to reuse him after her ascension to the throne.

It was also why Zhao Du'an dared to be jocular and try to get close to this cold eunuch, known as the "King of Hell," who terrified all the officials.

"…You, forget it."

Ma Yan took a deep breath, sat down opposite him, and frowned:

"If you have something to say, say it directly."

Being so straightforward, if it weren't for the proven loyalty, you wouldn't survive in the officialdom… Zhao Du'an commented in the manner of a workplace senior, smiling:

"I do have something I want to ask senior brother to help with."

"Speak," Ma Yan said succinctly.

Zhao Du'an smiled:

"Actually, it's quite simple. Yesterday, didn't I pry a lot of information about the rebel party from the mouths of the other eight bureaus? I spent the whole night looking through it last night, and I've been looking at it for a long time today. Combining the information from each bureau, I've really made some discoveries."

Ma Yan's eyes lit up:

"You've found a clue to the rebel party?"

He couldn't hide his surprise, but after thinking about it, he felt that it was indeed possible.

The nine bureaus were in a competitive relationship, each independently investigating cases.

Important clues would only be submitted to the Supervising Eunuch when there was a breakthrough.

And many clues that hadn't made progress were held in the hands of the chief officials of each bureau, who guarded them tightly and didn't communicate with each other.

This time, Zhao Du'an forced the eight of them to hand them over.

Although Ma Yan was certain that the eight of them had definitely concealed something, and what they handed over was likely the less important part.

But when many clues that were originally isolated and unrelated were gathered in Zhao Du'an's hands at the same time.

Cross-referencing and verifying each other, building connections.

It was very likely that he could connect different clues together and achieve a breakthrough.

"Yes. I have indeed found a suspected hiding place of the rebel party, but please forgive me for not revealing it yet," Zhao Du'an said.

"…"

Ma Yan's chest rose and fell again, he took a deep breath, and said coldly:

"So?"

If the person in front of him was one of his subordinates, Ma Yan would have been furious, but considering that the other party was backed by His Majesty, he chose to endure.

Zhao Du'an said sincerely:

"I plan to launch a surprise attack tomorrow, leading the Pear Blossom Bureau to arrest people, but I haven't cultivated for long, and I'm afraid of encountering strong enemies that I can't suppress, so I would like to ask senior brother to accompany me tomorrow."

That's it? Ma Yan readily agreed:

"Alright."

His messy eyebrows relaxed, thinking that although this kid was glib and liked to climb the social ladder, he still knew what was important and didn't rush to take credit.

Well, it seemed that the Zhuang Xiaocheng case had taught him a lesson.

However, Zhao Du'an didn't stop and continued:

"In addition, please also issue an order to the eight bureaus today, requiring the eight Investigators to stay at home tomorrow, strictly prohibiting them from going out. The lieutenants and yamen runners will all be stationed in their respective bureaus and must not move without permission."

!! A sharp light suddenly flashed in Ma Yan's eyes:

"Are you worried that…"

Zhao Du'an smiled:

"Senior brother, don't ask too much. You'll know tomorrow."

Ma Yan was silent.

He didn't know how Zhao Du'an knew that there was an internal ghost in the yamen, whether His Majesty had told him, or how.

But requiring all the bureaus to be confined was undoubtedly to eliminate risks and ensure that the Pear Blossom Bureau's arrest operation wouldn't have any accidents.

"Alright."

Ma Yan nodded in a deep voice, giving him a deep look:

"However, if the Pear Blossom Bureau doesn't have enough manpower and the rebels escape…"

Zhao Du'an smiled meaningfully:

"Senior brother, don't worry, the thieves are in the capital. As long as they show their faces, they won't be able to escape."

After speaking, he turned and walked away.

Ma Yan called out: "The main gate is over here."

"I know, but there's a back door. Who uses the main gate these days?" Zhao Du'an climbed over the wall and left, his movements extremely skilled.

Leaving Ma Yan sitting alone in the courtyard.

After a long while, he lowered his eyes, looked at the pastries on the table, and suddenly raised his calloused fingers, picked up a piece of mung bean cake, put it in his mouth, and chewed it gently.

Little brat… it's quite delicious.

…

…

At the same time.

After Zhao Du'an climbed out of the "General Supervising Bureau," he went straight back to the "Pear Blossom Bureau."

He summoned his four subordinates, instructed and exhorted them for a while, and gave each of them a brocade pouch, requiring them to open it after returning home tonight.

The four subordinates looked at each other after hearing the contents.

But now, they had become quite convinced of Zhao Du'an. Although they were puzzled, they still responded and went down to execute the orders.

Unknowingly, Zhao Du'an already had his own team.

Many small things no longer needed to be done by him personally, or rely entirely on Zhu Kui alone.

After that, he took off his official robe, changed back into his regular clothes, and got into the carriage:

"Go to the White Horse Bureau, quickly."

Inside the carriage.

Zhao Du'an, through the curtain, looked at the architectural complex of the ten bureaus of the Imperial Prison, connected as one, and slowly narrowed his eyes.

Only he knew that he hadn't obtained any information about the rebel party from those messy and fragmented clues.

He was just taking a gamble, gambling on whether the internal ghost would surface tomorrow.

And the knife to "kill the ghost," only Ma Yan's wasn't secure. Before the dust settled, he maintained suspicion of everyone.

Of course, including Ma Yan.

Thank you: godess - moom for the 5000 coin reward support!