The Empress's No.1 Lackey

"I have not," a eunuch whispered,

"Her Majesty has already discarded twelve jars of wine after ascending the Emperor Tower with Lord Zhao."

Mo Zhaorong's complexion changed slightly; she knew that Xu Zhenguan, when drinking wine on the tower, would only become slightly drunk.

Such a level of intoxication as today was extremely rare.

If she were to become utterly inebriated, it would give that deceitful scoundrel an advantage—she dared not even think of it.

...

Atop the tower, dishes and cups were in disarray.

"Your Majesty, the wine is gone," Zhao Douan said, holding an empty jar.

It meant that this small gathering had reached its end.

Beneath the lamp, Xu Zhenguan's skin took on a reddish hue, but as she let out a deep breath of the strong alcohol aroma,

The drunken look visibly dissipated from the Empress's face, and her eyes became much clearer.

At this moment, the clouds gathered in the sky, also concealing the bright moon.

"Enough, let's call it a day," she said calmly, then turned to the slightly less sober Little Forbidden Army and smiled,

"In toppling Pei Kaizhi, your efforts cannot be overlooked. Have you thought about what reward you would ask for?"

Didn't you tell me before to think carefully about it and then come ask me... Zhao Douan said,

"Your Majesty may bestow whatever reward you see fit."

He was making steady progress in his cultivation and did not need additional resources at the moment. He had also not yet mastered the Flying Knife of the Golden Crow, so he truly couldn't think of anything at the time.

The Empress, now sober, regained her usual dignified and elegant demeanor and smiled,

"Mr. Yuan previously recommended you in the Imperial Study, and asked for a job on your behalf.

For someone with your wit and methods, it's a waste to remain at the White Horse Hall; as it happens, the Imperial Office Pear Blossom Hall lacks a 'Master.' Are you interested?"

What? The Master of the Imperial Decree Department?

Zhao Douan was suddenly invigorated.

He realized that he seemed to be on the verge of a promotion!

According to what he knew, the Imperial Court, governed by Lord Ma Yan, was divided into nine departments.

Each department was named after a different flower, and Lihua Hall was one of them.

The position of Master was the head of the department, with a number of Jinyi Captains at his command, belonging to the military officer sequence.

The rank was not high, but the power was terrifying.

They monitored other officials, and could seize people and confiscate property at will.

If Ma Yan was considered "King Yan," and Jinyi Captains the "minions," then the Master was the pillar in the Hall of King Yan.

Zhao Douan had repeatedly ousted officials, and his actions overlapped with the functions of the Imperial Decree Department.

If he could become a Master, he could act openly and rightfully, with even more opportunities to achieve merit.

The power in his hands would also increase.

Of course, corresponding to that, the attention he would attract, and the enemies he would face, were incomparable to before.

Thump, thump... Zhao Douan's heart pounded, but he did not respond immediately; instead, he carefully considered,

"With my background, parachuting in as a Master might be inappropriate."

According to his thinking, if he were to transfer as a "deputy," it would be plausible.

A direct promotion to the top post might cause dissatisfaction among others.

Especially since his reputation... was still wanting.

Xu Zhenguan glanced at him, "Are you afraid?"

Zhao Douan spoke earnestly,

"My main concern is that I am reluctant to leave my colleagues at the White Horse Hall; I still wish to work at Your Majesty's side."

The White Horse Governor had the privilege of entering and leaving the Imperial Palace, a privilege that the Master of the Imperial Decree Department did not have. He was weighing the pros and cons.

Sly fox... Xu Zhenguan huffed, "You will not lose your post at the White Horse Hall. You're to temporarily serve as the Master of the Imperial Court. If it doesn't go well, or if a better candidate is found, you can return."

Phew, so it was "temporary Master," which was barely acceptable...

Moreover, holding both the positions of Governor and Master simultaneously meant he could advance or retreat as necessary. Zhao Douan had no reason to refuse:

"If that's the case, I am willing to give it a try!"

At this point, he understood:

The gift that Yuann Li promised, if he performed well, was exactly this.

Xu Zhenguan nodded in satisfaction, then said,

"However, having you serve as a Master is not without reason. There's another matter I require of you."

"What matter?"

"Try to find the hidden Kuangfu Society rebels within the Imperial Decree Department," Xu Zhenguan said coldly.

In the case of Zhuang Xiaocheng, Zhao Douan deduced that there might be rebels lurking within the Imperial Court.

In recent times, Ma Yan had repeatedly sought to uncover them but to no avail.

Either the judgment was wrong, or they were hidden too deeply.

The Empress sighed,

"I do trust Ma Yan, but after all, he has been sitting in the Imperial Court for too long. People he promoted by his own hands, it's inevitable that one gets blinded when in the game, and moreover, he is not adept at cunning schemes..."

What does that mean? So I am just the petty man who is good at cunning schemes... Zhao Douan felt utterly innocent.

"And you, as an outsider, might see things more clearly," Xu Zhenguan said, "If you can root out the traitor, I shall grant you another favor."

Zhao Douan solemnly said, "Your humble servant will spare no effort."

Xu Zhenguan nodded and said:

"I am tired, so I'll return to the palace now, you should head home as well."

I wouldn't mind spending the night in the palace... Zhao Douan thought to himself, but he knew it was impractical.

It was even more inappropriate for the dragon palanquin to take him home.

"Your Majesty, please wait."

Seeing Xu Zhenguan about to leave, he then remembered something. He took out a porcelain bottle warmed by body heat from his inner pocket and presented it with both hands:

"Your Majesty's gracious award, your servant has no way to repay. Specifically made this rose scent, Your Majesty can sprinkle it on your clothes to be surrounded by the fragrance of flowers wherever you sit or stand."

Xu Zhenguan was taken aback.

She stared at the porcelain bottle in his hand for a moment, eventually raising her hand to beckon, taking the bottle neck with her slender jade fingers.

She didn't try it, only saying:

"You have my appreciation."

...

When Zhao Douan was walking down Emperor Tower alone.

He saw Mo Chou, "the big ice lump," leading the group forward with a suspicious glance: "Where is Your Majesty?"

Zhao Douan yawned, pointing to the sky: "Her Majesty has already returned to the palace."

As a Great Cultivator, the Empress long had the ability to walk on air and command the winds.

"Somebody go up and clean up the leftover food and dishes."

Mo Zhaorong turned her head to command, and immediately a flock of eunuchs swarmed upstairs. When she thought to ask in detail what the Emperor had said to him,

She found that Zhao Douan had already left straight away.

...

The night was tranquil, the wind shifted the clouds, obscuring the bright moon.

The streets and alleys of the Capital seemed dim and cold.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Zhao Douan tried to force the alcohol out through his pores as he walked, but found he had failed.

His cultivation was far inferior to the Empress's.

Once the alcohol was in his stomach, if it wasn't expelled for a long time, it couldn't be forced out.

While upstairs, he felt only slightly tipsy, but now the cold wind blew, and Zhao Douan realized he was truly drunk.

"Not good, in my past life, I blocked drinks for my superiors at banquets, training to never get drunk, but I've changed bodies in this life."

Zhao Douan felt he had made a mistake.

The potency of the imperial alcohol surged, his mind gradually becoming muddled, walking towards home purely from memory.

Unconsciously, a small food street appeared ahead, with continuous interwoven awnings propped up by shops on both sides.

Some shops were closed, but some were still open.

The fiery-red lanterns hanging under the eaves, the dangling wine flags, the elegant aroma, seemed to tempt Zhao Douan.

He stepped into a soup stall, flipping a string of copper coins from his sleeve:

"Bring me a bowl of sobering soup!"

Immediately, a creaky old voice was heard beside him:

"Old man here has just one bowl left. If the young master doesn't mind, I'll give it to you."

Zhao Douan abruptly turned, prying open his eyelids.

In the dim lantern light, he saw beneath the awning, sitting beside a square table, an old man.

He wore an extremely ordinary long robe, but had a tall stature rare in the Great Yu Dynasty.

His age was indiscernible, but the pure white beard and eyebrows, without a hint of impurity, showed his age was not small.

His face was ruddy, with slightly narrow, gentle eyes that overlooked him as if evaluating.

Zhang Yan Yi was evaluating Zhao Douan.

Zhao Douan was evaluating Zhang Yan Yi as well.

In the silent night, quiet as if you could hear a pin drop.

Finally, Zhao Douan stepped forward, casually sitting opposite the Old Heavenly Master.

He looked down at the bowl in front of him, steaming hot, the sobering soup cooked just to the right point.

"Old Sir, were you waiting for me?"

Zhao Douan quietly clenched his fist, his fingernails digging into his flesh, using the pain to forcefully drive away the drunkenness, regaining clarity from his muddled mind.

Under his clothes, his muscles tensed, the Martial Artist's instinctive alertness surged, his Qi Sea quietly roaring.

As if facing a great enemy.

Zhang Yan Yi smiled, speaking slowly like any ordinary old man:

"In this mortal world, I simply await the one with destiny."