The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Clatter, clatter, clatter...

On the spacious long street of the Capital, Xue Shence led a group of military officers into the city, immediately drawing countless sidelong glances.

Usually, military officers seldom wore armor in public, let alone parading through the town like today.

When Xue Shence neared the residence of the Princely Heir of Prince Heng, following the letter given to him by Zhao Douan, he finally spoke slowly, outlining the general situation to avoid confusion among the group later.

"Prince Heng's Princely Heir has detained Master Zhao's men?"

The military officers looked at each other, instinctively wanting to withdraw.

They didn't want to wade into these muddy waters, but they forcibly restrained themselves.

The presence of the Secretariat Envoy clearly suggested backing for Zhao Douan, publicly demonstrating the solidarity of the military officers' faction.

Anyone who walked away at this point would clearly be courting death.

"Mr. Zhao must be grateful for your help," said Shi Meng, the Commander of the Divine Mechanism Camp, sincerely.

Xue Shence shook his head and said:

"This visit helps him as much as it helps the Princely Heir, but ultimately, it's about relieving His Majesty from worries."

These words were worth pondering. Shi Meng, rough in appearance yet meticulous in thought, quickly realized:

Given Zhao Douan's temperament, his demanding people back was likely to cause conflict. Although Xu Zudi held a respected position, this was ultimately the Capital, not the Qingzhou Rode.

Should Zhao Douan be provoked, it would undoubtedly be the Princely Heir who would suffer.

Zhao Douan's past "achievements" had proven him to be someone who dares to poke holes in the sky and fight anyone.

However, Xu Zudi was the brother of the Empress. If the situation escalated, it would be the Empress who would have a headache.

Thus, Xue's bringing troops could keep the situation within limits, dissolve a minor issue instead of it fermenting into a major one, thereby alleviating concerns for His Majesty.

Admiration in his eyes, Shi Meng remarked, "As always, Lord, your thoughts are meticulous; if Master Zhao knew..."

Xue Shence smiled and said:

"Of course he knows. Why else would he go alone first, asking me to hang back and cover? He just needs some time to create an uproar, have a talk. Our official deep down still wants to vent."

If Zhao Douan wanted to resolve the issue peacefully, accompanying Xue Shence for the visit would have been the best choice.

Xu Zudi might dare provoke Zhao Douan but wouldn't dare offend Xue Shence.

The former was merely a favorite by the Empress's side, opposing the Eight Princes in standing, not fearing making enemies.

But the faction represented by Xue Shence was even sought after by the Eight Princes.

"Zhao Douan going in alone to stir a scene is about gaining face, while our following him is about controlling the situation. As on stage, someone must play the hero and someone must play the fool. Shi Meng, you are adept in military management, but in the art of strategy, perhaps you should learn from him," Xue Shence stated blandly.

By then, the group of commanders had reached the mansion's main gate.

The injured guards had been carried away, and new guards assigned to stand watch winced when they saw a formidable group of commanders approaching.

…

…

"Ah!!"

Inside the hall, as Zhao Douan twisted his wrist, throwing the Golden Crow Flying Dagger toward the Princely Heir, a sharp scream resounded from a beautiful servant girl in the room along with Li Lang's pupils widening and Mrs. Xiao's stunned expression.

Whoosh!

Even Xu Zudi was flabbergasted, not expecting Zhao Douan to suddenly take action.

At this distance, there was no time for him to react; his pupils could only see the enlarging tip of the dagger!

However, just a second before Zhao Douan made his move, an old man who had been quietly standing with his head bowed in the corner of the room had stepped forward.

In a flash, like lightning, he positioned himself in front of Xu Zudi, leaning slightly forward with an old body that stretched out his knee; his right hand extended two iron-like fingers.

In a stroke of lightning, he caught the flying knife between his fingers!

"Clang!!"

Rough joints collided with the blade, sparks flying, almost creating a residual image; the immense force of the flying knife was forcibly stopped by the old man, the blade stopping just millimeters from the crisscrossed brows of the elder.

"How dare you, young fool!"

Coldness seeped from the elder's deep eyes; his wrist rotated, flinging the struggling knife, seeking to escape, back toward Zhao Douan's face!

The speed was even faster than before!

"Buzz!!!"

The Golden Crow Flying Dagger, as if sentient, frantically adjusted in the air, avoiding harming its owner, narrowly grazing past Zhao's ear, lifting a strand of hair.

With a "bang", it shattered a jade ornament behind him, with terrifying force.

"Be careful, Lord!" Hou Renmeng, belated in his realization, tried to draw his sword and step forward to block the advancing elder.

However, he saw the contemplative old man, in the blink of an eye, approached within a meter of Zhao Douan, readying a punch like a cannon, enveloping wind and thunder as if to punch through Zhao Douan.

Yet, Zhao Douan remained calm and unflinching.

The elder slightly raised his eyebrows, seeming surprised, about to reduce some of his force, but the next second, he felt a force locking onto him. His hair stood on end, as if one step closer would lead to a deadly outcome.

Danger!

The elder forcibly retreated with an internal injury as its cost, flashing back in front of Xu Zudi in the blink of an eye.

The next second, that sharp and unparalleled force dissipated, and Zhao Douan appeared slightly disappointed.

Hearing the noisy footsteps outside along with Xue Shence's strong and bright voice:

"Young Master, Xue is taking the liberty of visiting, sorry for the disturbance."

Xue Shence had arrived!

In that moment, Hou Renmeng was the first to show a relieved expression, his palms already sweaty.

While the others in the room were only beginning to come to their senses,

everything that had happened was too quick—in the blink of an eye, the entire skirmish had ended.

Even for cultivators, it was hard to react without paying attention, let alone for mortals?

"Ah—"

Li Lang finally realized what had happened and cried out, almost falling backward, his face pale as if he had seen a ghost.

Mrs. Xiao slowly returned to her senses, first looking at Zhao Douan in astonishment, then increasingly shocked by the noises outside.

Xu Zudi snapped back to reality, his back soaked in cold sweat, rage suddenly flaring up in his heart.

He was startled and furious, not expecting such audacity from the pretty-faced Mr. Zhao.

But the moment his anger surged, it was forcefully suppressed by a group of armored military generals who entered through the grand hall doors!

"Minister Xue?" Xu Zudi's expression froze, "Why are you here?"

Xue Shence, seemingly oblivious to the tension, laughed heartily,

"Today, after the military's autumn maneuvers, I was having a feast with the generals. When Master Zhao rushed off, we had no choice but to follow him here, only to find he had an appointment with the Princely Heir, eh? What's going on here..."

Zhao Douan looked remorseful:

"I've truly been rude; a minor issue here has caused you all this trouble. I had a misunderstanding with the Princely Heir, which has now been resolved."

Ah, wasn't it you, sir, who had people follow secretly... Hou Renmeng thought to himself but dared not speak.

Astonished at how every one of these military generals was an actor; weren't they supposed to be straightforward, unlike the scheming civil officials?

How times change...

"Haha, Lord Zhao is right, it's all a misunderstanding, misunderstanding."

Xu Zudi's expression changed several times, finally bursting into laughter, "It's all cleared up now."

Xue Shence smiled: "That's good. It just so happens that I haven't seen the Princely Heir for a long time; how about we grab a casual meal together?"

Xu Zudi smiled, "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Xue, but I regret I am otherwise engaged and cannot join you. Maybe another time?"

Xue Shence showed a look of disappointment but did not insist further and instead turned to Zhao Douan.

Zhao Douan smiled, too, and said to Xu Zudi:

"Princely Heir, then may I take your leave? As for those underlings of mine who failed to measure up..."

"Do as you wish," Xu Zudi gritted his teeth, forcing a smile.

At this juncture, a mutual withdrawal was the most decent conclusion; continuing the dispute would only disadvantage him.

"Thank you."

Zhao Douan clasped his hands, giving Hou Renmeng a signal, who drew his knife and cut the ropes binding the three captured Jinyi Captains on the floor.

Though they had been severely beaten, they could still walk and silently followed.

Both parties said their farewells, and a large group of people left the mansion majestically.

Their arrival was quick, and their departure was even quicker. In a moment, nothing was left but chaos.

...

After sending everyone off, Xu Zudi, standing at the front door, gradually lost his smile, turning gloomy.

His hands hidden in his sleeves clenched so hard they cracked, he breathed rapidly, fixedly staring at the distant Mr. Zhao.

What did it mean to knock out teeth and swallow blood? Today's clash not only did not bring him any advantage but had strategically cornered him.

He could only swallow his pride.

"Your Highness, I..." the elder opened his mouth to explain.

But Xu Zudi shook his head to interrupt:

"It's alright, Minister Xue Shence has a reputation as a military god and is indeed not easy to provoke. Your timely withdrawal was correct; it was my miscalculation to not expect Minister Xue to follow along."

"Cousin, are we just letting him go like this?"

At this, Li Lang couldn't hold back. He felt aggrieved; he had thought he could use his cousin's help to get his revenge today but ended up with nothing.

Xu Zudi, feeling a headache from his wastrel cousin, sighed and consoled:

"Go back for now. Revenge is not urged in haste. As for your aunt's matter, I will speak to the palace later."

Li Lang opened his mouth but could only leave dejectedly.

"Your Highness, this Zhao Douan is no simple man; he could have come here with Minister Xue, and now, by staging this performance in our hall, we have inadvertently helped him win people's hearts."

Mrs. Xiao, having removed the apple from her mouth, spoke calmly.

She was focusing on another perspective.

Lihua Hall's government officers were undisputedly arrogant, the lower the position, the more so.

The place was known for gathering notorious figures, and with Zhao Douan as their backing—a flag they rallied around—it had been difficult for Zhao to keep them in line. Forcefully demanding compliance would surely displease his subordinates, losing their "hearts."

But today's incident had provided him an excellent excuse; one could imagine that upon returning, Zhao would surely use this incident to tighten discipline.

And in front of his subordinates, he deliberately humiliated himself, "bowing and scraping" to the Princely Heir by offering a drink as an apology.

With this gesture, the loyalty of these three subordinates was secured. No matter how Zhao punished them afterward, they wouldn't bear grudges but feel guilty and blame themselves.

And they would also serve as examples, allowing Lihua Hall to undergo a reform without much complaint.

This was truly the art of controlling one's subordinates.

"There's no need for your reminder."

Xu Zudi, increasingly displeased, vented by placing his hand boldly on Mrs. Xiao's firm buttocks, kneading them as he sneered:

"Let's just wait and see the drama unfold. We've been in the capital for several days; if nothing unexpected happens, Mr. Zhengyang might stir things up today. I am eager to see how my sister and our majesty respond."

Mrs. Xiao's eyes lowered, deep as the tranquil waters of East Lake in Qingzhou, betraying no emotion.