The Empress's No.1 Lackey

"What?"

Mr. Zhao Douan raised his eyebrows, looking at his "personal driver."

Coachman Little Wang hurriedly lowered his voice to explain,

"The lord may not recognize that man, but I have seen him before, that is none other than the Marquis of Xiajiang, a noble of our Great Yu Dynasty."

Marquis? Mr. Zhao Douan's mind churned as fragments of memory emerged.

In the Great Yu Dynasty, there existed several power groups.

Among them was the "Noble Group," formed by ennobled heroes of past generations.

At the beginning of his time-travel, the first broker he beat up, Ning An County's Child, technically belonged to the nobility.

Since they were also nobles, supported by the court, the Noble Group was closely associated with the Imperial Family.

But Mr. Zhao Douan had not anticipated that they would be so close as to share a bedsheet.

He had also heard of the name "Marquis Xiajiang."

His ancestors were ennobled during the resurgence of the Xu Dynasty some three hundred years ago.

By this generation, most of the nobility had already lost their real power, and the Marquis Xiajiang was no exception.

However, he was still from a martial family with a solid foundation, and he was also a "martial artist" and a cultivator, with no previous dealings with Mr. Zhao Douan.

Yet, unexpectedly, they met on an occasion like this.

"Quite fitting for his reputation..."

Mr. Zhao Douan clicked his tongue in wonder; he had little interest in this "Marquis," but he was quite surprised by his affair with Princess Yunyang.

It wasn't so much a surprise that they had slept together.

After all, Princess Yunyang was well-known, and the number of hats she could stack on her husband's head might measure up to the clock tower of the Heavenly Master Mansion.

"But to not even disguise it, and doing this on the street... seems a bit too far..."

At this moment, Mr. Zhao Douan suddenly understood why Li Lang was a profligate.

Any young man with such a socially active mother and a father who cowers in silence would naturally have psychological issues.

"Are you Zhao Douan?"

At this time, sitting opposite in the sedan chair was the imposing, though slightly sinister, Marquis Xiajiang, who asked a question.

His condescending posture, almost interrogative in tone, instantly gave rise to an aversion in Mr. Zhao Douan.

He ignored the Marquis, his gaze falling on the direction of Princess Yunyang, who only showed her fair legs, and he spoke indifferently,

"Why doesn't the distinguished Princess show her face? Could it be she has no face to be seen?"

The two parties were already adversaries; there was no need for pretenses.

The curtains of the sedan swayed gently in the wind, and it seemed the Princess inside was angered, her hand suddenly clenched tight that peeked outside.

The Marquis of Xiajiang, sharing the same animosity, showed a furious expression and said coldly,

"Zhao Douan, did you not hear? This Marquis is speaking to you."

What are you acting so haughty for? We're all just playthings, as if you're any nobler than I am... Mr. Zhao Douan was not pleased.

He glanced at him and responded perfunctorily,

"So it is the great Marquis Xiajiang. I have long heard of your renowned name. May I ask why you have called upon me?"

Uncertain of the situation, he decided to play it safe.

The Marquis Xiajiang, clad casually in a silk robe, holding a delicate beauty in his arms, his beard meticulously groomed, scrutinized Mr. Zhao Douan for a moment before suddenly speaking,

"It's nothing important. This Marquis has just heard that there is a new Master Zhao in the Capital, enjoying great fame and favor, not taking the Imperial Family or the nobility seriously. So, I wanted to come and see for myself."

Though he said "come and see," the patronizing look and the superiority in his attitude were akin to a noble inspecting a commoner.

This irked Mr. Zhao Douan for no reason.

A damn noble, stopping me in my tracks on my way to work just to have a look at me.

And showing off that look as if "This Marquis deigns to notice you, and that's already giving you great face."

Mr. Zhao Douan really wanted to drag him down and grind him into the ground before asking,

Do you not realize how rude this is?

But in the end, he chose not to do so and instead uttered an "Oh," calmly asking,

"What has the Marquis noticed?"

The Marquis Xiajiang smiled, but he didn't give a direct answer,

"Let's just call you young Mr. Zhao. This Marquis has lived a few more years than you and has lingered in the Capital far longer.

I have seen more men of power rise and fall than the bridges you have crossed.

Today, I thought I could offer you some advice: Be humble as a person, and don't be too arrogant as an official.

Even if you want to be an upright official, you should also keep a clear eye, knowing whom you can offend and whom you cannot.

Even my attendants in the Marquis's mansion know that you have to discern people's status. In this Great Yu Dynasty, officials come and go with the seasons, but it's always us nobles who truly stand unshakeable, not you commoners."

His tone was very sincere, even somewhat admonitory, yet submerged in condescension.

Utterly patronizing.

Seeing Mr. Zhao Douan silent, the Marquis of Xiajiang spoke with a deeper sigh,

"This Marquis has said his piece. If you heed my words, you shall know how to act, and you need not express gratitude, consider it just a daily good deed by this Marquis.

But if you remain obdurate, and the day comes when your glory fades, do not say I did not warn you."

With that, the Marquis Xiajiang indeed gestured by waving his hand, signaling to the sedan bearers to lift the sedan.

The thick curtains also fell, hiding the amorous pair inside.

As the sedan curtain shook and settled, Mr. Zhao Douan caught a glimpse of a pair of enchanting and seductive eyes.

Those eyes lacked any emotion.

"Proceed!"

The sedan bearers issued a low command, the burly men lifting the heavy dark red poles in unison, taking large strides.

The Princess Yunyang's sedan passed by the carriage, heading straight for the other end of Vermilion Bird Street.

The crowd of onlookers scattered like birds and beasts.

As one could imagine, it wouldn't be long before the gossip of Marquis Xiajiang lecturing Lord Zhao on the street would spread through teahouses and taverns.

"My lord? Are you..."

Coachman Little Wang looked at his superior, somewhat uneasy.

Mr. Zhao Douan squinted, sitting upright in the carriage, the sheath of his knife remaining undrawn as he said with a laugh,

"Were you worried I was going to take action against him? Rest assured, there's no need."

Coachman Little Wang sighed with relief.

As a member of the Lihua Hall, having witnessed Mr. Zhao Douan's fearlessness, he was genuinely concerned that his superior couldn't stand the "admonishment" of Marquis Xiajiang and would cause a scene right there.

But he heard Mr. Zhao Douan speak with a secluded voice,

"The opponent wants to provoke me, if I truly fall for it, wouldn't that be playing right into his hands?"

Cart driver Little Wang was stunned for a moment before he realized:

"Sir, are you saying that Marquis Xiajiang deliberately said those things?"

"Otherwise?" Zhao Douan exhaled and said with a meaning that was hard to discern,

"Within the ranks of the Imperial Family and the Noble Group, there are indeed fools, but to encounter two at once is too much of a coincidence."

Princess Yunyang's first appearance had indeed refreshed his stereotype of this "dissolute" princess.

From beginning to end, she had always been hidden behind the curtain, only sending out a concubine to fight in the front.

If Zhao Douan had really dared to make a move, first, it wasn't certain that he could win against Marquis Xiajiang.

Second, he would leave himself open to attack.

One must know that the laws of the Great Yu Dynasty explicitly protect the nobility.

Zhao Douan had beaten up the son of Ning'an County because the latter had a low title and lacked power and influence, which forced him to swallow his pride in silence.

As for the spoiled Li Lang, although he was the Princess's son and by bloodline considered part of the Imperial Family, he held no title.

Yet Marquis Xiajiang was different; though he held no real power, the title of "Marquis" gave him an advantage even if he was unreasonable.

"I admit, I've underestimated that woman a bit."

Zhao Douan sighed.

Princess Yunyang had made a fool of the Marquis in public, forcing Zhao Douan to swallow this bitter pill.

Luckily, through recent events, he had regained control of Lihua Hall.

Thus, he wasn't worried that this matter would shake his authority.

"Let's go, back to the government office first."

Zhao Douan said, yet his heart remained on alert, feeling that Princess Yunyang's retaliation was definitely not limited to a few verbal warnings.

...

...

The journey went smoothly, and by the time Zhao Douan arrived at Lihua Hall, the time for roll call had already passed.

In the courtyard, the young pears on the vast pear tree were about to ripen.

"Sir, you've come."

Secretary Qian Kerou, with a stack of case files, brightened up:

"Your subordinate has already done the roll call for you."

Zhao Douan nodded in satisfaction and took his main seat with ease, curious:

"Why are you here alone?"

Qian Kerou's cheeks were flushed, and she reported energetically:

"Old man Zheng is in the back sorting through case files; Hou Renmeng and Shen Juan are out tracking down rebel clues."

It's worth mentioning:

The two people imprisoned at Iron Ruler Pass were transferred to the custody of the Ministry of Justice early yesterday morning.

This case was consequently, as a matter of course, handed over to the Ministry of Justice for oversight.

The Imperial Court of Supervision was responsible for monitoring.

The "Three Legal Departments" of the Great Yu Dynasty each had their differentiated functions.

The Ministry of Justice maintained "criminal prisons," places to detain criminals, while the Ministry of Justice had the rights to hear cases, judge, and arrest, akin to a court.

The Imperial Censors of the Imperial Court of Supervision could offer input at any stage, likened to bystanders who only speak without taking action.

Ma Yan, to avoid suspicion, albeit reluctantly transferred the case, but still successfully pry open the mouths of those at Iron Ruler Pass and gained some information about other rebels.

Which was then handed over to Lihua Hall to pursue further.

"How's the progress?" Zhao Douan inquired.

Having had his fill of big fish and meat, he wasn't interested in these small fries and left the matter to his four subordinates to handle as training.

Qian Kerou said:

"After the arrest at Iron Ruler Pass, the related rebels urgently evacuated, resulting in many empty leads. But with some identity clues, we've continued to follow the vines to the melon, catching the trails of two fleeing rebels.

Hou Renmeng and Shen Juan took people to capture them; the former has no news yet.

But just now, one of Shen Juan's teams sent back a message saying they have successfully captured their target and also seized a batch of illicit money and goods.

Currently, they are listing and preparing to transport it back here; they requested that we send people to support."

Zhao Douan looked surprised:

"That was quick, well done. Have the people been sent out to support?"

Qian Kerou replied:

"They're harnessing a carriage in the front courtyard to transport some of the illicit goods back; they're about to set off."

Zhao Douan thought for a moment, then suddenly said:

"Call a few people, and I will go personally. Matters involving rebels cannot be taken lightly."

While he said this, what truly moved Zhao Douan was Princess Yunyang's incomprehensible carriage stopping warning from earlier.

He had a vague premonition:

There might be complications arising from this affair.

"Oh, alright!" Qian Kerou was momentarily stunned, then quickly nodded and rushed to make arrangements.

...

In a while,

Zhao Douan rode a fine horse, leading a group of Jinyi government officers ahead, with a cart carrying dirty cargo following behind.

Before long, a group of Jinyi officers flamboyantly made their way through the streets, reaching a civilian residence in South City amidst the fearful avoidance of the people.

It was also the hideout of the rebels, as mentioned in the message sent back by Shen Juan.

However, as Zhao Douan arrived, still some distance away, he saw two groups confronting each other in front of the house and on the street.

One group, blocking the courtyard door and in a defensive stance with swords drawn, turned out to be a few Jinyi from Lihua Hall.

And standing opposite them, outnumbering them several fold and attempting to force their way in, was a group of people with unknown identities.

Both sides also had swords drawn.

The leader of the group, an officer in a green robe with a stern expression, was loudly demanding:

"Make way for this official——"

Being outnumbered, they were forced to defend in a recoiled position, desperately trying to maintain the doors. Shen Juan's expression fluctuated uneasily.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of approaching horse hooves from afar.

Shen Juan abruptly looked up, his eyes suddenly brightening:

"The official has come!"

A few Jinyi invigorated their spirits and looked up.

But they saw Zhao Douan on horseback, leading the charge, his dark official robe embellished with trembling silver threads.

On his horse, Zhao Douan had already drawn his sword and with a throw from midair, shouted:

"Who dares to be presumptuous!!"