The Empress's No.1 Lackey

"Scoundrel! Despicable wretch! Shameless and brazen!"

In the room, Zhang Changji cursed loudly, completely losing his composure.

His rage could no longer be contained, and he was about to lunge forward, but Zhou Cang, with quick reflexes, took a healthy step forward and hammered the hilt of his knife fiercely into the other's abdomen.

"Bang!"

Within the low thudding sound, Zhang Changji doubled over like a shrimp, his breath chaotic.

Zhou Cang said coldly, "To dare attack a government officer, I will report this matter to Lord Supervisor. Take him away!"

Several Jinyi officers, fierce like wolves and tigers, shackled him with chains designed specifically for Martial Artists and dragged him out of the courtyard.

Throughout the process, Zhang Changji kept cursing loudly, his foul language startled Zhou Cang.

"Lord, what is this about..." Households Commander Zhou asked curiously, beating around the bush.

Wanting to know what had happened in the room.

"Alas," Zhao Douan sighed softly,

"I have been colleagues with his elder brother and we have always got along well. This man tried to cling to relationships, but unfortunately, the law is merciless, and we are acting on behalf of Your Majesty, how could we let personal feelings disrupt the law?"

It's as if you're joking with me... Zhou Cang was shocked.

He did not expect that Zhao Douan could lie without even blinking.

"Hehe, this time I'm grateful for all the brothers' efforts; it's getting late, let's disperse and treat the men to a drink," Zhao Douan smiled, taking several silver notes from his sleeve and handing them over.

"I dare not... Lord, it is not proper... Oh no, no, no..." Zhou Cang immediately stopped probing any further.

After completing the ritual of thrice refusing before accepting a gift, Households Commander Zhou reluctantly accepted, his face beaming with a smile, and immediately declared,

"If the Lord has any commands, we dare not refuse.

But now that the thief has been captured, what is the next step? I fear it may not be easy to pry open his mouth."

Zhao Douan stepped forward, crossing the threshold, and looked up at the sky.

Clouds drifted from the south, the bright sunlight gradually dimming.

He said calmly,

"Whether he speaks is not important; the most important thing is the news of his being taken to prison."

Zhou Cang stood dumbfounded, "Could the esteemed Lord explain further?"

Zhao Douan laughed,

"The aim of startling the snake by beating the grass is not the grass, but the snake. It won't do if the snake lurks in its hole; only by forcing it out can the snake catcher trace and locate it."

He paused, glanced at the pensive Households Commander, and said,

"When we arrived, if we had bluntly stated that it was for the Capital Camp arms case, enemies hidden in the dark would have fled."

Zhou Cang suddenly understood,

"So, you deliberately claimed it was for the Zhuang Xiaocheng case, leading the second son of the Zhang family to mistakenly believe that you deliberately framed him, seeking retaliation."

Zhao Douan nodded,

"When I spoke earlier, many of the servants in the house heard it and will soon report it to the Zhang family. In this way, the enemy behind the scenes will not immediately flee in panic but will worry about being exposed... When people are panicked, they often become less intelligent and reveal flaws."

Zhou Cang's eyes brightened,

"I understand. I will immediately send men in plain clothes to lie in wait and keep a close watch on the Zhang family. If there is any unusual activity, I will report at once!"

Amazement filled his heart, and a strange thought emerged:

Perhaps, Lord Supervisor was mistaken, for Lord Zhao's strategies far surpass what anyone in the Capital would have expected.

...

...

The second son of the Zhang family had been arrested by the soldiers.

The news spread quickly, deliberately pushed along.

"What?!"

In the room, dressed as a scholar in green with a finely combed mustache, Zhang Changshuo stood up abruptly, staring intently at the servant who came to report,

"The second son has been taken away? By Zhao Douan and his men?!"

The three-day confinement period decreed by the Empress had passed.

Zhang Changshuo decided to keep a low profile, rarely venturing out these past few days. This morning he felt an ominous twitch in his eyelids and hadn't expected trouble to actually arise.

"Yes, together with the government officers from the Imperial Court, that Zhao also extorted a large sum of money from the second master," the servant with dark circles under his eyes reported.

After the government officers left, he immediately ran to find the eldest Zhang.

Extortion?

Zhang Changshuo was initially horrified, but upon hearing the details, he began to ask carefully, not overlooking any detail.

Finally, he sat back in his pear wood armchair, his expression grave.

The good news was: it wasn't that his crime had been uncovered, it was a retaliatory attack by Zhao Gou.

The bad news was: danger! Danger! Danger!

"The Zhao thief has become addicted to false accusations?"

He cursed bitterly in his heart, believing that Zhao Douan was taking a second bite of the cherry after gaining incentives from the incident with the Prime Minister.

"The second son is also a fool to provoke him! Fearing something invites it; accomplishing little, failing much."

Zhang Changshuo felt terrible.

He too was involved in the firearms craftsmen case, although not actively, just dragged into it.

About a year ago.

"People from Prince Jing Mansion set a trap, deceiving the limited intelligence of Zhang Erlang, coercing and enticing him to join their ranks, promising to do their bidding and help transfer a batch of firearms blueprints and artisans."

Zhang Erlang, ignorant as he was, got hoodwinked and after some thought, sought out his elder brother, hoping to sway him.

Zhang Changshuo was astounded, berating his younger brother for his stupidity. Were these kinds of struggles something they could get involved in?

Furthermore, he had been racking his brains trying to curry favor with the Empress, yet his brother had turned to serve Prince Jing instead.

But alas, blood was thicker than water. Zhang Changshuo knew all too well that once the matter leaked, it would lead to a crime by association, and he, as the elder brother, would also face death.

He had no choice but to get involved as well and work for Prince Jing Mansion.

But Zhang Changshuo was, after all, an educated man, with the inherent vice of a scholar, that of fence-sitting—always feeling that betting on Prince Jing was not secure.

Thus, his motivation to cling to the Empress grew even stronger.

He wished to keep a foot in both camps.

According to his plan:

If he could climb into the Empress's bed, he would turn around and sell out his brother. By then, grateful for his loyalty and their physical intimacy, the Empress surely wouldn't blame him and might even value him more.

This was called: "Sacrifice the brother to prove one's loyalty!"

Should he fail to win the Empress's favor and one day Prince Jing truly seized the throne, the Zhang family could still bask in glory and wealth.

But now, danger was imminent.

"My younger brother is a martial artist; I trust he can withstand the torture without spilling the beans. But Ma Yan is investigating the firearms case, and if this gets linked, we'll be caught out, and all will be lost!"

"So, he must be extracted as quickly as possible to sever this tie. But I fear my elder uncle may not be powerful enough, and Ma Yan has never been one to show face to any of the six ministries' officials!"

"Moreover, if news of his arrest spreads, the people of Prince Jing Mansion will know and surely panic, suspecting the firearms case has been exposed, and my Zhang family will instantly become the scapegoat!"

"Those people from the south are not to be trifled with, and who knows what drastic actions they may take—I must calm them down."

"Also, Prince Jing Mansion must have higher-ranking insiders in the court who, for self-preservation, will agree to help and get my younger brother out!"

Many thoughts surfaced in his mind.

Zhang Changshuo's expression fluctuated as his train of thought became clearer:

He had to notify the other side and request aid.

But… if he were to act rashly on his own, he might attract the attention of the Imperial Court.

"Must not disrupt my own formation, cautious, remain cautious…" Zhang Changshuo silently reminded himself.

"My lord? Please, say something."

Below, the servant who had come to report urgently urged him, seeing that he remained silent for a long time.

"What's the fuss? I have my arrangements," Zhang Changshuo rebuked irritably, then after a brief moment of thought, he said:

"Inform father of this matter immediately, notify my elder uncle, and think of ways to smooth things over."

"As for me…"

Zhang Changshuo looked up and saw the gathering clouds from the south darken the sky beyond the eaves, and said:

"We'll have to wait."

…

In the evening, White Horse Hall.

Inside his own office, Zhao Douan sat cross-legged in meditation, breathing with an air of twilight wandering about him, mystical and profound.

"Whew!"

He opened his eyes, finishing his contemplation of the "Martial God Map," and looked at his palm with excitement in his eyes.

These days, he nearly meditated on the scroll daily, allowing his consciousness to sink into the painting.

Each time, he appeared on a mountaintop, witnessing a martial artist practicing punches.

The sun sometimes rose, other times set.

There was nothing else different.

He tried to communicate with the "Great Ancestor," but he got no response, as if it was a recording, or a stern coach, guiding his breath and training his fists.

Finally today, he had made some progress.

With a thought, Zhao Douan's arm pores emitted twilight, enveloping his palm. He sliced with a dagger, "hiss, hiss"…

To his surprise, it could not be cut, and there was a faint sound of metal.

"Previously, the twilight only appeared when I was extremely angry. Now I can actively summon it and control its strength. The parts of my body strengthened by the twilight become quite hard, it's a pity that the coverage area is only as large as a palm."

Zhao Douan clicked his tongue in wonder.

"But a palm's size is enough…" His gaze dropped, staring at his own crotch, deep in thought.

Just as he was considering whether to give it a try, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching from outside the door.

Zhao Douan got up and opened the door, only to see the old director, Sun Lianying, coming alone.

"Lord!"

Zhao Douan was surprised, as if he had thought of something.

At that moment, the evening bell resounded from Heavenly Master Mansion within the city, its deep toll echoing throughout, as the last sliver of twilight faded from the sky.

The gray-haired and sunken-eyed old eunuch stopped, hands clasped as he looked up at the night sky, and said:

"The person I asked for on your behalf has arrived."

…

This chapter transitions a bit.