The Empress's No.1 Lackey

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Inside the main hall, Zhao Douan pinched the letter, assuming a thoughtful expression.

Unlike Feng Ju and the other two, who were anxious and fearful, doubting whether he would lend a hand,

the moment Zhao Douan saw the letter, he decided to offer assistance.

The question was, how?

Directly "calling the troops," using Feng Ju as the witness, to arrest Marquis Xiajiang?

This option was the most straightforward and satisfying, but its feasibility was too low.

In the TV dramas and novels from past lives, organizations akin to the "Eastern and Western Factories," "Jinyi Guard," and the like would often act under the banner of "imperial authorization, execute first and report later," arrest people arbitrarily, and flout the law.

But after Zhao Douan looked through historical materials, he found that such depictions contained artistic exaggeration.

Could the Imperial Court bypass the Three Legal Departments and directly arrest someone? Yes,

but the premise is "the Emperor's order," meaning if the Empress currently issued a decree to Ma Yan, ordering him to arrest someone or investigate a major case,

then the power of the government officer from the Imperial Court would immediately inflate, displaying the nature of a violent machine.

Illegal torture, wanton executions, fabricating crimes, framing, initiating purges... they would resort to all sorts of filthy methods to the extreme.

It was like donning a time-limited "fury" buff.

However, without the Emperor's order, in the normal process of investigating a case, to arrest someone, one must follow the ancestral system and go through a set of procedures:

The chief officer must first issue an "arrest warrant," which is similar to a summons, and then present the warrant to the Ministry of Justice and the central government office for "approval."

If the central official rejected it, then it couldn't be executed.

To go to other places to handle a case and arrest someone was even more troublesome, as it involved obtaining the seal from the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Multiple government offices concurrently signed off, and there were verifications at the city gates.

These measures were all to restrict this violent machine, to prevent it from losing control.

For six hundred years of Great Yu's rule, methods to restrain the Imperial Court had developed into a mature pattern.

After the Empress ascended to the throne, to deal with the complex situation, she loosened the control over the Imperial Court to a certain extent.

Hence, the last time Zhao Douan arrested fifty-eight officials, he only needed to issue the "summons" himself, but he couldn't touch anyone above fifth rank.

A Marquis was in the upper echelons among the nobles, and arrest would require Ma Yan's consent.

Moreover, considering Marquis Xiajiang's "divine chapter" martial prowess, rashly attempting to arrest him was not prudent—it would at least require cooperation from the other hall mouths.

...

"With Duan's character, he would never allow me to arrest a hereditary Marquis without any substantial evidence, relying solely on the one-sided story of Feng Ju," Zhao Douan had a clear judgment on this.

It was clearly written in the letter from Feng Ju.

Marquis Xiajiang had only sent a lackey to subtly hint and convey this meaning.

But throughout the process, nothing was put on paper, nor was there a third party listening.

Such matters were "understood but not evidenced," impossible to leave behind proof.

Just like previously, when Zhao Douan and Feng Ju schemed on the awning boat, during that interchange, they too communicated in riddles.

So, Feng Ju says Marquis Xiajiang abducted her?

How could someone prove it?

"Without evidence, it's impossible for Ma Yan, who always goes by the book and never bends the rules for personal gain, to make a move."

Zhao Douan shook his head:

"Then go directly to the palace and report to the Empress? Seek help from Zhenbao?"

Zhao Douan was confident that as long as he spoke up, the Empress would definitely issue orders to resolve the situation.

Not only could he help Feng Ju out of trouble, but the Empress would surely take action, punishing Marquis Xiajiang and even Princess Yunyang.

Forbidding the two of them from causing him trouble anymore.

"It seems the simplest and most permanent solution, but there are two drawbacks!"

First, seeking the Empress' intervention could possibly delay matters. Xu Zhenguan would not leave the palace to handle such matters in person; she would surely delegate it to others.

It might even lead to entanglement with that "aunt."

Considering Feng Ju's daughter was abducted, what they lacked most was time!

Not to mention that every second's delay meant additional danger, as Marquis Xiajiang's people might not play by the rules.

Just to mention the social norms of women in this age, who placed the utmost importance on their reputation.

If she went missing for more than one night, even if she was rescued later, how would others view her?

Zhao Douan reflected that he did not consider himself a "good person."

But involving an innocent girl because of his affairs and ruining her reputation was something he couldn't do.

This was not even considering the extreme case where Marquis Xiajiang, to cover up his crime, might kill to silence her—

Even if there was the slightest possibility, it would be a calamitous event for the Feng family.

"Furthermore, if I report to the Empress at this time, considering that the event is not yet severe, and the other party hasn't had time to harm me,

and taking into account the 'aunt' relationship and the concern over the Noble Group's reaction, the final punishment might not be too severe!"

This was also something Zhao Douan was unwilling to accept.

"Where's the logic in guarding against a thief every day? If you don't scare and deter the enemy in one go, even if they fear the Empress and lie low for a while, who knows when they'll sneak out and trip me up."

Zhao Douan pondered back and forth.

Still feeling that the best plan was to take matters into his own hands.

Figure out a way to rescue the person first.

Then detain the lackey sent to abduct the person, pry open their mouths; that way, he would have evidence that held up.

Only by solidifying the crime of "Marquis Xiajiang abducting the family of a courtier" could he then maneuver, gaining the upper hand.

"But how to rescue? Locate the abductor?"

Zhao Douan furrowed his brows.

The Capital was vast, and since Marquis Xiajiang dared commit such a taboo act, his methods must be very covert.

To rescue her before the other party reacted was no easy feat.

While Zhao Douan pondered, he suddenly felt something else inside the envelope.

He poured it out and was momentarily stunned.

There were two pieces of paper inside.

One detailed the time and place where Feng Lianlian went missing, her clothing, and her physical description including age.

The other was even more conclusive—a portrait drawing.

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