The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Scholar Street.

With the summer's scorching heat, tea pavilions were erected along both sides of the street.

At this moment, a sinister group of Jinyi had taken over one of the tea pavilions.

Everyone nearby receded, afraid to incur the misfortune of these "King Yans."

Hou Renmeng placed his scabbard on the table, the knife in his hand glinted in the sunlight as he wiped it with a handkerchief.

"Boss, if the target resists arrest later, are we really going to take them by force?" one of the attendants asked.

With thick brows and wild eyes, Hou Renmeng's crow's feet crinkled:

"If not, then what?"

The attendant, who, like him, had been expelled from Peony Hall, clicked his tongue and said:

"It just feels like a dream to me that we're going to arrest more than a dozen people today.

The first one is from the Literary Bureau, a Standard Sixth Rank official from the capital, and what's more, this one is from the Li Party, with quite a significant backing. Are you sure you didn't make any mistake?"

Hou Renmeng grinned and said:

"If you talk about backing, our new arresting official's support comes from the Saint. Who has a bigger backer than the Saint?

Don't give me that crap. What kind of people you guys are, do I not know?

Have you ever been timid in making an arrest before? Is there any basket you dared not puncture? Or is it that spending half a year in Lihua Hall has turned you into cowards?"

The group of attendants laughed uproariously.

Lihua Hall's troublemakers were far more than just five, and many more beneath them were not to be trifled with.

Those who didn't know thought Lihua Hall was the most useless group, but the truth was quite the opposite.

Anyone who could become a troublemaker, but wasn't kicked out, only relegated to the "cold palace," had some real capability.

These people were like a bunch of Monkey Kings, unnoticeable without a king to lead them.

But once Zhao Douan gave the order, the defiant government officers burst forth with bravery and ferocity unmatched by other halls' timid souls.

"Enough talk, here they come."

Hou Renmeng rose to his feet, crossed his arms and walked into the middle of the street, just as a carriage approached from the front.

In no time, the carriage was forced to a halt, and a minor official lifted the curtains to reveal a middle-aged man inside who frowned and said:

"Why block the road?"

A few Jinyi chuckled and flanked the vehicle from all sides, enclosing it.

Without a word, a barrage of punches and kicks descended like raindrops, causing the Literary Bureau official's close attendant to howl in pain and flee with his head in his hands.

"Stop at once!" the official with a shocking background bellowed angrily, his voice stern.

Yet, seeing the Jinyi uniform on the others, he felt an instinctive dread.

"Sir, Master Zhao from Lihua Hall requests to see you. Please come with us," Hou Renmeng said with a smirk, brandishing the arrest warrant.

"What crime have I committed? You..."

Hou Renmeng's wrist flicked, and the knife in his hand whistled out!

With a swoosh that ripped through the air, the knife was flung straight into the carriage.

The blade missed the official's scalp by a hair, pinning his black hat forcibly to the carriage wall, the handle still trembling!

"Ah!!"

The middle-aged official was terrified and fell back sitting down, while the onlookers who had gathered scattered, shouting, "Murder!"

Hou Renmeng dragged the Standard Sixth Rank official out like a dead dog, threw him to the ground, spat a wad of phlegm, then said cocking his head to the side:

"Tie him up."

Then, pulling a piece of torn paper from his pocket, he announced:

"Next."

…

…

Elsewhere.

Zheng, the elder, reined in his horse, steadying the fiery steed underneath him as he looked across the street towards the seven rooms that made up the Ministry of Rites official quarters.

The attendants beside him dismounted, and as Zheng stepped down, they promptly handed him the large tea mug that never left his side.

"Master Zheng, are we going to wait here?" an attendant asked:

"If we wait until they disperse at noon, and then make the arrest, we could minimize the disturbance, right?"

Zheng took the large tea mug, gulped down a hearty swig, and said cheerfully:

"With time pressing and our heavy task, we won't wait."

Seeing the attendant hesitate, he added:

"If you have something to say, just say it."

The young attendant, who had been transferred from another hall, spoke up confusedly:

"At your age, you're about to retire, why bother going through so much?"

He had been assigned to assist Zheng after joining Lihua Hall.

In his impression, this old superior was always amiable to everyone, a stark contrast to the rigid image of the officials from the Imperial Court.

It was all about biding time in Lihua Hall.

It seemed pointless to start trouble in the last year.

Before Zheng could speak, another middle-aged Jinyi came over.

With a smile, he patted the younger colleague's shoulder, and said:

"You're just too young. You've been in the Imperial Court for a while now, and you haven't heard the story of 'Meihua Ninth'?"

Zheng smiled and said wistfully:

"Things change, and so do people."

In the history of the Imperial Court, there was never a shortage of legends.

Meihua Ninth was a famous figure from thirty years prior within that generation of the court.

Born from Mei Hua Hall and dubbed "Ninth" due to the number in his name, he was bold yet careful, highly skilled, and solved many significant cases.

He had once been promoted to the position of Arresting Officer at Mei Hua Hall, and was the youngest officer of his time.

Unfortunately, whether due to youthful arrogance or a sense of justice deep in his bones, Meihua Ninth, during a raid, couldn't stomach the actions of a fellow officer and refused to be part of the corruption, drawing his sword in anger.

Afterwards, when faced with the Lord's demand that he reflect on his actions, he stormed into the Governor Hall with his sword, sliced through the signboard, and was demoted to the lowest level attendant.

He weathered several storms, and eventually, his powers to investigate cases were revoked.

Disheartened and seemingly disillusioned with the government office, he then disappeared from the public eye.

Thus, the government office gained a Zheng Laojiu who spent his days drinking tea, reading newspapers, tinkering with wood carvings, and shirking his duties.

"Heh, I thought I'd waste away in the Lihua Hall, this cold palace, until retirement, but who would have thought, at the end of it all, I'd encounter a young superior willing to delegate to old Zheng authority over arresting and managing cases."

Zheng Laojiu's face creased with a smile:

"I'll have to cause a bit of stir again, shed this Jinyi, to have a proper beginning and end, eh."

He stuffed the large teacup into the arms of a young attendant, and with his hands behind his back, crossed the long street toward the opposite side, muttering:

"An official from the Ministry of Rites? I've long heard no good of that man, never imagined, he'd fall into the hands of old Zheng."

In a short while, the official from the Ministry of Rites' office was broken into.

Zheng Laojiu waved his hand, and the government officers behind him surged in like fierce tigers.

Before long, a blue-robed official was trussed up and dragged out.

"Next one."

…

…

For the entire day, the officers of the Lihua Hall struck everywhere, nearly covering all the major government offices of the Capital.

Each time they met resistance, it was settled with fists and feet, and harsh strikes with scabbards, beating a group of civil officials into crying for their fathers and mothers before tying up their targets and pulling them away.

The process of delivering people to the Imperial Prison never stopped.

So much so that everyone in the government office was shocked.

They were bewildered, thinking that some earth-shattering case must have arisen in the court for so many officials to be collectively arrested.

By evening, the unused cells in the Imperial Prison were nearly filled to capacity.

The four Colonels, exhausted yet faintly excited, led their attendants back to the Lihua Hall to share their respective gains.

"Sir, all fifty-eight people on the list have been captured and are ready for your interrogation at any time."

Qian Kerou approached the main seat to rest with eyes closed, as if asleep, softly informing Zhao Douan by his side.

Seemingly asleep all day, but actually immersed in "contemplation," following the Grand Ancestor Emperor trekking through the desert all day, Zhao Douan opened his eyes.

He saw the subordinates by the long table eagerly looking toward him.

Outside the hall, twilight's afterglow fell upon a large pear tree.

The unripe pears seemed to be covered in warm light, appearing as if they had ripened.

"I know," said Zhao Douan.

His demeanor was as nonchalant as if arresting fifty-eight court officials at once was nothing extraordinary.

Qian Kerou asked,

"Then, are you planning to interrogate them tonight?"

"Interrogate?" Zhao Douan raised an eyebrow, "Why would I interrogate?"

…

…

While Zhao Douan's actions stirred up commotion throughout the Capital,

Inside Peony Hall, the conference room.

Eight Arresting Officers from the different divisions converged here, all having rushed over upon hearing of Lihua Hall's actions, intending to discuss the matter.

At the moment, the eight were scattered on two sides of the long table.

One of them spoke first:

"Surely you've all heard of what Zhao Douan did today, he arrested fifty-eight officials from various major government offices on the pretext of suspicion of conspiracy with the rebels for investigation, filling the Imperial Prison.

Now the prison is overcrowded... By tomorrow morning at the latest, the official circles will surely be in uproar... what exactly is this Zhao trying to do?"

As soon as he finished, the Hall Master of Pomegranate Hall from Iron Ruler Pass, sneered:

"The man Zhao wants to grab all the credit for himself, gone mad with it, sending someone to ask me for cases this morning, demanding debts, whom I chided and sent away, and by noon, he began arresting on a large scale. Isn't his intention obvious? Isn't it just to fish for merits?"

He was robust and strong, with muscles bulging beneath his official robe and a beard as stiff as steel pins.

His hands were covered with calluses, and the knotted blue veins seemed ready to burst through the skin.

Beside him,

Seated across him, in the lower right first position, Haitang disdainfully said,

"Can't you think a bit more? You really think Zhao Douan is a fool and a wastrel? Does he not understand the consequences of such high-profile arrests?"

Her figure was slender and valiant, with a melon-seed face, thin lips, and a teardrop mole by the corner of an eye, her long hair tied in a ponytail.

Tied around her waist was a bag made from tanned cowhide, filled with Flying Knives.

Now, as the Hall Master of Daffodil Hall, she analyzed with furrowed brows:

"No doubt Zhao wants to reap the merits, but I believe, he must have a reason for not shooting blindly."

The Hall Master from Iron Ruler Pass retorted mockingly:

"So? You really believe he has evidence of these fifty-eight people conspiring with the rebels? Pure fantasy."

The other officers joined the discussion, sharing their opinions, various speculations abounded.

In short, they were filled with incomprehension regarding Zhao Douan's bewildering actions.

"Silence."

Suddenly, the thudding sound of knuckles rapping on the table emerged, and everyone fell silent, their eyes turning towards the head seat.

He was the universally acknowledged first among them, the Arresting Officer of Peony Hall, the first under the Lord, "Master Zhang" Zhang Han.

Zhang Han was in his thirties or forties, imposing and pale-skinned, rarely smiling.

At that moment, commanding everyone's attention, he slowly began to speak:

"Have you investigated the common factor among these fifty-eight arrests?

"To my knowledge, one coincidental point is, these fifty-eight people had all petitioned against Zhao Douan in Zhuang Xiaocheng's escape case not so long ago, demanding his execution to serve as a warning to others."