The Empress's No.1 Lackey

The drizzling rain refreshed the entire Capital anew.

Zhao Douan put on a robe, tucked an oiled-paper umbrella under his arm, quickly swallowed a few steaming meat buns, and set out alone.

There was little time left until the scheduled meeting, and he dared not delay.

Since the location was not far, and due to the rain, he chose not to ride a horse.

Even a Cultivation Martial Artist on foot could reach on time.

"Inviting me so abruptly—is it to prevent any preparation on my part? And emphasizing meeting alone... truly a sly move."

Zhao Douan was somewhat displeased.

But for the sake of great merit, he decided to overlook the old man's antics.

In his mind, he reviewed Vice Minister Pei's personal file:

Pei Kaizhi, from the Pei family, a notable Jiangnan Family, whose career could be summed up in one word: "smooth."

Gifted from an early age, he was known as one of the "Four Talents" alongside other local prodigies.

Entering the officialdom later, he had family support all along, rising safely and with ease to the position of Vice Minister.

If Pei Kaizhi were the protagonist of a novel, the title might be:

"In the Officialdom, Starting the Speedrun!"

On his own, a Vice Minister wouldn't warrant the alliance of the Empress and Yuann Li.

The real challenge with Pei Kaizhi was the entire Pei family backing him.

In Great Yu's 600-year reign, local families had become a major hidden threat.

Eliminating a Vice Minister was easy, but minimizing the consequences was tough.

"Indeed, children from upper-class families start the speedrun mode from the womb... can't compare... yet, the old man's parenting effort is apparently limited; today, you'll taste the fruit of 'inadequate parenting.'"

Zhao Douan, holding the oil-paper umbrella, hurried through the rain, contemplating different plans for the upcoming meeting with Pei Kaizhi.

Before long, he reached the address on the letter, an elegant teahouse—

Pei Kaizhi was having breakfast here today and had invited him to join.

Yet as soon as Zhao Douan arrived, before he could ascend, a servant in brown clothes stopped him,

"Lord Zhao, you're late."

"What do you mean?" A bad feeling brewed within Zhao Douan.

At the teahouse entrance,

The servant, obviously from a noble family, spoke politely,

"My master has already had his morning tea and left upon not seeing you, leaving me to wait here."

Zhao Douan raised an eyebrow. Even though there were no watches back then, a mortal Martial Artist's perception greatly exceeded ordinary people.

He could estimate the time by the circulation of his energy.

He was certain he wasn't late.

But Zhao Douan did not argue, merely asked calmly,

"So?"

The Pei family's servant politely gestured toward the west side of the street,

"My master went to the Medicine Hall in the West City for tonics and told me to inform you to meet there. Hurry, so you don't miss the hour again."

Zhao Douan gave him a deep look, a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth, and nodded:

"Alright."

With that, he turned and walked swiftly towards the west side of the street.

The servant watched his receding figure, a look of contempt visible in his eyes.

...

The Medicine Hall was a renowned pharmacy in the Capital.

Pei Kaizhi, now aged, often took supplements, perhaps hoping to bloom anew.

People from the Jiangnan Families had a certain obsession with having children, which might explain his immense affection for them.

Caring for one's family was good; the most terrifying thing in this world was a person entirely without ties or desires.

Zhao Douan precisely targeted Pei Kaizhi's family attachment and chose to break through from there.

However, today's meeting was destined to be full of twists.

Relying on his Martial Artist's speed, when Zhao Douan reached the Medicine Hall in the West City, as expected, he saw the brown-robed servant standing under the eaves.

"The Lord has come a step late; my master has already taken the medicine and left, seeing you hadn't arrived in time."

Still courteous.

These servants of deeply rooted families were well-trained; even if they despised the Empress's gigolo inwardly, they maintained impeccable manners.

Once again.

Zhao Douan's expression remained unchanged: "So?"

The servant shook his sleeve, gestured towards the south side of the street,

"My master is on holiday today, seeing the rain, went to the Jinjiang Embankment to fish; you may go there for the meeting."

From the teahouse to the medicine hall, then to the embankment,

This was clearly a deliberate difficulty,

Things were getting interesting... trying to provoke me?

Zhao Douan squinted his eyes but did not lose his temper, merely nodded:

"I understand."

Taking out anger on a servant was a ludicrous act.

If you want to hit a dog, you hit the owner first.

He simply memorized the servant's face deeply and turned away.

As he left, the brown-clad servant shook his head, eyes filled with disdain, thinking the reputedly arrogant Empress's gigolo was overrated.

Faced with true powerhouses from noble families, wasn't he still swallowing his temper?

...

The Jinjiang Embankment was in the midsection of the Hun River traversing the Capital.

Because the land jutted into the river, its topography resembled Tongliao, with shallow waters full of fish.

Thus, it was the undisputed Holy Land among fishing enthusiasts in the Capital.

Yet, at dawn this morning, Pei family servants had aggressively arrived, sealing off the best fishing spots, preparing a bait nest ahead of time.

This caused countless anglers to retreat.

When Zhao Douan arrived there, he saw willows swaying along the riverbank, the river surface misty with raindrops creating ripples.

A group of servants with straw raincoats stood like spears by the riverbank in a semicircle.

With his Martial Artist's sight, Zhao Douan determined there were several martial arts masters among them, undoubtedly guards.

The moment he appeared, several sharp gazes locked onto him.

Such a grand display, even Yuann Li doesn't boast this much, with an entourage at every turn. Zhao Douan compared Pei Kaizhi and Yuann Li, instantly judging the difference.

"Lord Zhao has arrived? My master awaits you."

A servant with sharp eyes stepped forward, distinct in demeanor from the previous two.

Zhao Douan glanced at him, poised to advance, but was blocked by an outstretched hand.

"What's the meaning?" Zhao Douan raised an eyebrow.

The martial servant replied calmly, "I still need to conduct a body search on you, Lord Zhao."

A body search... even when seeing Xu Zhenguan, there was no search, at most washing the congenital weapons brought from the womb fragrant and clean, and you, a mere Vice Minister, want to search...

Zhao Douan finally laughed.

Indeed, at this moment, he finally settled on the most aggressive plan from his multitude of prepared alternatives.

He didn't speak, just continued forward.

A robust Qi Mechanism flowed through his Qi Sea, circulating around him, his body suddenly heavy and solid like a mountain as his hips swayed.

The martial servant's face changed slightly, anger rising as well.

The straw cloak was lifted by a surge of Inner Strength, countless crystalline raindrops flying like scenes slowed in films, each bead shooting out.

Beneath the cloak, the brown clothes stuck to the muscular body with a "pop," a Martial Skill activated.

Using his martial body as a hammer, he charged directly at Zhao Douan.

"Crack—"

There was no anticipated clash of metal.

Amid the willow trees by the long embankment, in the rain, only the sound of bones cracking was heard, accompanied by the soft thud of flesh crumpling.

At the spot where they stood, crimson blood oozed from beneath the servant's cloak.

Silence.

Zhao Douan glanced at the guard with widened eyes, full of shock and a pale face, then continued past him unfazed.

"Overreaching oneself."

Thud...

The martial guard's knees buckled, kneeling and clutching his chest and abdomen, enduring the pain of broken ribs without making a sound.

The remaining servants retreated in fear, allowing Zhao Douan to pass through the defensive line.

Throughout, the oiled paper umbrella in Zhao Douan's hand barely shook.

...

At the riverbank.

A dense grassy area, pressed down by an exquisite boot, released a large puddle of water.

Zhao Douan halted his steps, his gaze fixed on the elderly man ahead, cloaked in straw, seated in a low bamboo chair, fishing rod in hand, back facing him.

The breeze from the river made the thin fishing line quiver.

Pei Kaizhi snorted coldly: "Back off. If you scare away the fish, see how I deal with you."

This seemed directed at the servants, yet also like a veiled reproach.

Behind, the guard, suppressing his pain and remaining silent, staggered away.

Only then did Pei Kaizhi secure his fishing rod, patting the empty chair beside him with a smile:

"The servants lack manners, letting Lord Zhao have a laugh."