The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Or rather, it was meant for Li Yanfu.

Thus, he owed a favor.

That was also the reason why he had drunk with Princess Yunyang before, mentioning that if the case reversal was successful, he would not have to be involved.

It was originally intended as a gift for the Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

Then a mistake occurred, and that old thing seemed unwilling to take care of the matter...acutely realistic.

"Lord," Marquis Xiajiang took a deep breath and earnestly said,

"Although I am not afraid of a mere Imperial Decree Department officer, this man is ruthlessly cunning. His conspicuous attempt to arrest me might even be sanctioned by King Ma. If I fall into King Ma's hands, I'm afraid..."

The Minister of the Ministry of Justice suddenly darkened his face:

"Do you wish to threaten me?"

"Lord has misunderstood!" Marquis Xiajiang swore to the heavens,

"I have had nothing but the most honorable relations with you, a perfect gentleman's agreement."

The Minister of the Ministry of Justice looked at him for a while, then suddenly said,

"I heard that there is an antique blue and white dragon-pattern vase from the previous dynasty in your mansion, and I have long wanted to borrow it to admire for a few days."

"...Tomorrow, I will order my servant to deliver it to your residence."

"But without flowers, the vase is much less appealing."

"...There happens to be a peach tree with green jade and golden anthers in my mansion, which I will also send for your enjoyment."

"Hehe, what about this Spring God Tea?"

Don't you dare overstep!

Marquis Xiajiang suppressed his rage and said:

"Of course, your taste will not be neglected."

At this moment, he even regretted seeking refuge here; perhaps it would have been better to stand up against the Zhao surname.

The square-faced Minister of the Ministry of Justice, with a prominent 'Sichuan' character between his brows, finally smiled and said,

"In that case, Lord Marquis can stay here for a day or two. A mere officer from the Imperial Decree Department wouldn't dare to snatch anyone from my Ministry of Justice."

Marquis Xiajiang smiled, "Then I am most grateful..."

Before the rest of the sentence could leave his lips, both men suddenly heard a noisy commotion from outside.

Shortly after, a green-robed official hurried over from the front, calling out,

"Lord, this is bad, Zhao Douan has broken in!"

What?!

In that moment, Marquis Xiajiang abruptly stood up, first shocked by the audacity of this person. To think he'd be so brazen as to force his way in?

Coming to take someone was one thing, but resorting to force?

Almost immediately, a hint of joy appeared on his face.

He suddenly felt that the antiques and jade he had promised, even several jin of "Spring God Tea," had become worth the cost.

He turned his head toward the Minister of the Ministry of Justice and saw that this Standard Third-Rank official had a somber expression.

Understandable.

After all, to be contradicted right after making a statement, he faced an affront unbecoming of his status.

"Where is this scoundrel?"

The scarlet-robed civil officer stood and asked.

Yet the next second, the doors of the rear court, which had been left ajar, were flung open by a mighty force!

Rows of Jinyi government officers poured in like a dark torrent.

They instantly formed an encirclement around both the Minister of the Ministry of Justice and Marquis Xiajiang.

Then, Zhao Douan, tall and handsome in his dark robe embroidered with silver threads, leisurely stepped into the courtyard, smiling,

"Yo, quite lively here. I seem to have heard someone calling for me just now; surely it must be the esteemed Minister."

His gaze swept past Marquis Xiajiang and settled on the imposing figure in red—the significant court official.

'Tingwei' is another title for the "Minister of the Ministry of Justice."

"So you are Zhao Douan."

The Minister of the Ministry of Justice's face was somber, and his murky eyes also looked down upon him.

Being a long-standing power in the court, even his slightest movement carried an authoritative presence.

Though surrounded, he did not show the slightest sign of weakness.

He was entirely the master of the place, calm and composed.

At the same time.

Behind the back office courtyard gate, a large throng of officials from the Ministry of Justice also swarmed in.

The number was even greater, they simply formed a large circle, and encompassed everyone from Lihua Hall as well.

It was just that there was a specialization in their trades.

Although there were many people, in terms of momentum, they were utterly suppressed by a group of thorns from Lihua Hall.

"Hehe, I didn't expect my reputation to be so significant that even the Imperial Court knows of it," Zhao Douan chuckled.

The Minister of the Ministry of Justice had no interest in idle talk with him and coldly said,

"This official was unaware, when did the Imperial Decree Department gain the authority to barge into the Three Legal Departments without permission."

Zhao Douan replied cheerfully,

"Lord, please do not misunderstand, our visit this time is solely for the arrest of a criminal."

Then, he repeated the words he had previously told Hee Zheng in a leisurely manner.

"However, Master Hee insisted that the Ministry of Justice had first taken the person into custody for interrogation, but I found it hard to believe, so I had to come in and see for myself."

Zhao Douan sighed lightly,

"Now it seems, indeed Master Hee was full of lies, deceiving both those below and above. Lord, you are clearly here enjoying tea with the Marquis, how could he falsely claim it's for arrest and interrogation?

However, Lord, you need not get angry, I have already taught him a lesson on your behalf. As for Marquis Xiajiang, you are suspected of being involved in a case, so please come with us."

Shameless!

Utterly shameless!

Upon hearing Zhao Douan's words, all the officials of the Ministry of Justice simultaneously had the same thought.

It was obviously him who had hit someone, yet he audaciously claimed it was Hee Zheng's fault, true to his notorious reputation as the infamous Lord Zhao of the White Horse.

Even with the Minister's Qi Cultivation Skill, he nearly burst out laughing.

He made no attempt to reason with Zhao Douan or to argue right from wrong.

Instead, he directly said, "With your status, you have no right to arrest a hereditary Marquis."

Zhao Douan raised an eyebrow, "Zheng."

Behind him, Zheng Laojiu stepped forward, shaking out a "warrant" stamped with King Ma's large seal, and illuminated it with a lamp to ensure everyone could see the striking red seal ink.

"Is this sufficient?" Zhao Douan asked with a smile.

This villain truly came prepared... Did King Ma really allow him to?

...Marquis Xiajiang's heart skipped a beat, feeling both relieved and puzzled.

The Minister's demeanor did not change, his gaze was still steady as usual,

"That is not enough. The case involving Marquis Xiajiang has entered the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. Today, let alone you, even if King Ma himself came, he would not think to take him from my territory."

He paused, and the corner of his lips curled up—a powerful figure among the nine ministers, a wearer of the scarlet robe,

"Regarding you, barging into the Three Legal Departments, do you really think that once you've entered the Imperial Court, you can disregard the 'Great Yu Law' and act lawlessly?"

He suddenly turned his head to signal Marquis Xiajiang standing by his side, saying,

"Imperial Decree Department's Zhao Douan has violated the law, this official will borrow the martial skills of the Marquis for a moment, to capture him, as I have said."

Marquis Xiajiang's eyes shone brightly, and a smile also appeared at the corner of his mouth.

With the backing of the Minister, he certainly would not refuse and at once, his Qi Sea thundered, and his surging Qi flowed through his meridians.

The authoritative pressure unique to a Divine Chapter Warrior permeated through the night air.

He stepped forward, raised his fist, and pressed towards Zhao Douan.

"Be careful, Lord—"

The government officers from Lihua Hall changed color.

However, Zhao Douan himself remained calm, with the smile on his lips appearing languid.

He ignored Marquis Xiajiang, who was closing in with rubbing hands, and the countless pairs of eyes around him watching with interest, focusing only on the Minister of the Ministry of Justice,

"You're saying, even if King Ma came, he shouldn't even think about it?"

He sighed lightly, seeming somewhat helpless as he looked up towards the night sky and shouted,

"Master... Lord, you've heard it, right? My official rank is too low, it's not sufficient. It's time for you to show yourself!"

The next second, a wind rose sharply.

A lean, upright figure, as cold and stern as a snow-capped mountain, silently appeared in front of Zhao Douan.

With a frosty gaze, he surveyed the entire scene, and it fell deathly silent.

The Imperial Court's Lord, King Ma, had arrived!

...

Typos to be corrected later.