The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Zhao Douan and Pei Siniang had reached their cooperation and finished their first step in their plan.

Imperial Palace.

Inside the royal study, a conversation was similarly unfolding.

"…These represent the current attitudes and movements within various government offices after this morning's court session."

Dressed in an official robe, with a wingless black hat, the "female Prime Minister" Mo Zhaorong who possessed an androgynous beauty, closed the book in her hands.

She lifted her head, looking towards the figure standing by the window, her back facing Mo Zhaorong, resembling a fairy.

Her eyes did not hide her admiration for the Empress's beauty, as they were both women.

The Emperor of Great Yu's hands lightly rested on the windowsill, her gaze directed toward a distant lake, her white garments outshining the snow, her eyes reflecting the shimmer of the lake and landscape.

Without turning back, she merely parted her lips:

"How goes it at the Privy Council?"

"Everyone is on edge, fearing this huge uproar will make it even harder to find the mole."

During these past days, the Empress had stirred up a significant disturbance with the case of the firearm craftsmen, causing the court to be on tenterhooks.

Not only the Privy Council, but also the civil and military officials in the entire court kept a low profile, tightly keeping to themselves, fearing at this juncture to provoke the misfortune of the Empress.

Xu Zhenguan shook her head and sighed:

"When those people from Prince Jing Mansion were caught, the moles within the court had already drawn back, hiding beneath the surface. I never really expected to root them out."

It was just as that day in the garden, when the Empress and Yuann Li had discussed while playing chess.

Given the current situation, Xu Zhenguan preferred to "defend" rather than "attack," trying to grasp even a single thread to unravel the group of traitors was not easy.

Moreover, were these brutal methods truly the best solutions?

Not necessarily!

As an emperor, one must not only be intolerant of sand in one's eyes, but also learn to turn a blind eye…

This was the lesson she had learned from reading the records of the dynasty's founder.

It was unrealistic to expect every official to be loyal,

The correct way to lead allowed for subordinates to harbor their own thoughts.

Occasionally making an example of one to warn others was also a tacit understanding between monarch and subjects.

Thus, while the entire civil and military officials thought that Xu Zhenguan was thoroughly searching for the corrupt,

They did not know the true aim of the Empress was merely to intimidate them, causing these "moles" to completely hibernate and quiet down for a time.

Meanwhile, her cooperation with Yuann Li, weaving a net of strangulation, quietly unfolded under the tumult of this storm.

Mending the plank road in the open, but secretly transporting via Chen Cang.

Mo Chou smiled and said, "Your Majesty, this move of yours will surely exceed many people's expectations."

Yet Xu Zhenguan was not optimistic:

"Has Mr. Yuan sent any news, how is the progress?"

Mo Chou hesitated:

"Not yet, Vice Minister Pei has deep roots in the court, it's not easy for Mr. Yuan to move against him, but having prepared this long, it's probably only lacking an 'opportunity' now."

Opportunity… frustration flitted across Xu Zhenguan's beautiful eyes.

As Vice Minister Pei, a pillar of the Li Party, had managed operations for many years, where would it be easy to find a breakthrough?

If her power was stable, she could indeed kill by using trumped-up charges, but unfortunately her position was not yet secure...

Even a Heavenly Human Realm cultivator, when faced with court politics, was helpless, as this was not a game to be played with brute force.

Xu Zhenguan suddenly asked on a whim:

"What do you think, if Zhao Douan comes forward to bite, can he possibly create a breach?"

Mo Chou said helplessly:

"Your Majesty, you might be overestimating him! How could his petty scuffles with the Zhang brothers compare with the bloody political battles of the court?"

She felt that the Empress was again enchanted, her impression of Zhao Douan becoming progressively worse.

"I was merely speaking offhand." Xu Zhenguan's eyes twinkled with amusement:

"I just feel that you always have a poor impression of him, hence I was teasing you. How would I not know that this mere ant like him has no capacity to participate in such significant matters?"

Although Zhao Douan had impressed the Empress twice in succession.

Ultimately, those were mere clever tricks, unsuitable for public display.

Using borrowed power, tricking a small chief, winning her favor... and dealing with the two Zhang brothers were just "entertaining talks."

The involvement with the "Prince Jing Mansion" case was purely accidental.

She would certainly not be confused enough to believe that Zhao Douan, with his little cleverness, truly had the capacity to partake in the major storm of strangling Vice Minister Pei.

Yuann Li would not, either, tell an unintentional chess move to the Empress.

"Your servant is merely giving an objective evaluation," Mo Chou breathed a sign of relief, her expression cold:

"He is definitely not a good person, Your Majesty, do not be fooled by his appearance."

Xu Zhenguan chuckled with a smile.

At that moment, a gentle breeze blew in from outside the window, causing three thousand strands of black hair to flutter. The Empress narrowed her eyes:

"A breeze has picked up, hasn't it."

...

White Horse Hall was the office of Zhao Douan.

"He's not here?"

An old eunuch, whose temples were speckled with white and eyes deeply sunken, suddenly visited, startling the servants left on duty.

A servant said, "My Lord left home in the morning."

Sun Lianying frowned. "Where did he go?"

Although the position at White Horse Hall wasn't a desk job and was more flexible regarding outings,

one still could not skip work on a whim; outings had to be recorded and documented.

The servant, trembling, presented a blank record book:

"The Lord traditionally dislikes writing these."

"Hmph," Sun Lianying, slightly displeased, asked, "Did he say what he intended to do this morning, or whom he was planning to meet?"

The servant replied, "This morning, the Lord's friend Qin Qiu came to visit..."

What followed was a detailed account.

And the more Sun Lianying heard, the worse his expression became.

By the end, he left in silence, waving his sleeve without uttering a word.

The old eunuch initially had a better impression of Zhao Douan after knowing he had achieved some merit.

He thought that after the "Zhuang Xiaocheng" case, Zhao had fully realized his shortcomings and had turned over a new leaf.

Therefore, he came in a good mood to give him some advice,

to prevent Zhao Douan, young as he was, from falling into traps due to unfamiliarity with certain unwritten rules of the bureaucracy.

But upon learning that Zhao was again mingling with the likes of Qin Qiu, whom he greatly despised, even going as far as to shoulder-clap and address each other as brothers, blatantly skipping work to waste time in leisure,

that once-improving impression soured again.

In Sun Lianying's time-worn face, his old eyes harbored disappointment.

"Has the prodigal son really returned, or was it just a brief show?"

"Or is there another reason?"

If uncertain... then, let's observe further.

He shook his head and walked back to the government office, pretending he hadn't visited today.

...

...

In the following days, all was calm.

Zhao Douan occasionally mingled with Qin Qiu, aiming to distract those who might be spying on him.

The wastrel persona had to be maintained.

Only then could it be firm in people's minds that a scoundrel like him could never possibly collaborate with Yuann Li to work for the Imperial Court of Supervision.

Pei Siniang hadn't sent any messages or appeared at the opera house again.

In his Cultivation, he continuously trudged through the desert, a dull and tedious endeavor.

Until one morning anew.

Upon opening the bedroom door, Zhao Douan felt invigorated by the cold, damp breeze from outside.

Dark clouds had arrived last night, and today, a light rain drizzled over the capital.

Jinhua hurried across the courtyard in the rain, a beautiful woman still full of grace holding an oiled paper umbrella, now wearing a dress made of Shu brocade, her beauty even more radiant.

The wind caused the umbrella to sway, wetting one side of her body slightly.

"Why has Auntie come?"

Zhao Douan raised his eyebrows, lifted his hand to drape on his coat, and slowly fastened each button.

Jinhua halted outside the door, turned sideways to avoid her stepson's gaze, and drew a dry letter from her bosom:

"Just now someone knocked, handing over this letter, asking you to open it yourself. Auntie worried it was something urgent, lest the servants delay..."

"I understand."

Zhao Douan took it, tore it open, glanced through, and immediately a glint flashed in his eyes. He spoke to Jinhua waiting under the porch:

"I won't be having breakfast at home. Pack some meat buns for me; I need to leave at once."

The letter was from Pei Siniang, sent by messenger.

It stated that her father, Vice Minister Pei, had agreed to meet him.

But he requested Zhao to come alone and discreetly, providing a time and place for that very morning.

"Fishing is good on rainy days..."

Zhao Douan took a deep breath, his fists clenched:

"After so many days, the big fish has finally taken the bait."