The Empress's No.1 Lackey

How to discipline this group of young disciples? Zhao Douan has his own ideas.

In the world of martial arts, being a "nice guy" with a good temperament is not the right way to survive. Properly demonstrating toughness will earn respect.

How to deal with these three people without overstepping, while maintaining the court's prestige and not unnecessarily creating enemies at this sensitive juncture, is a skill.

Xu Zhenguan firmly believes Zhao Douan can handle this matter well.

"Dismissed." Zhao Douan waved his hand to screen off the Tributors, then wearing the last ray of sunset in the western sky, he walked to the Cold Palace entrance.

After hesitating for a moment, he did not push the door open but instead placed his eye against the door.

Through the crack in the door, he spied Noble Princess Consort Xiao wearing a coarse cloth skirt, placing the food box on her lap, grabbing rice and dishes with her hand, devouring them heartily, totally indifferent to Xiao Ran's departure.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Douan locked the door again and withdrew.

...

The Imperial Palace is structured in a formation similar to the "回" character.

The small "口" inside is the residence for the Emperor and the inner court members, while the large "口" outside is where the government offices serving the Imperial Family reside, and unmarried or immature Princes and Imperial Princesses also live in this area.

In a certain sense, the Palace City serves as the master's bedroom, while the Imperial City serves as the area for servants and guests.

The Qingshan trio were arranged to stay in a separate courtyard within the Imperial Palace.

Chai Keqiao personally carried the dinner sent by the Imperial Food Bureau and pushed open the room door of Qi Ye.

When the door opened, a heavy medicinal fragrance permeated the air; Qi Ye, with a blindfold made of black cloth, was sitting bare-chested on the bed, a white bandage wrapped diagonally around his chest, with his left hand also wrapped.

"Dinner's ready," Chai Keqiao placed the food box on the table, his mouth twitched, "Why are you in such a state?"

Qi Ye said expressionlessly:

"With that Zhao Douan's bad temper, would it be easy for me to leave without making a statement?"

Chai Keqiao sighed:

"Had you not provoked him, it wouldn't have come to this. Were you really just airing grievances for Tianhai?"

Qi Ye calmly got out of bed, though his eyes were covered, he accurately walked to the round table as if he were a normal person, and sat down:

"Airing grievances is only part of it, testing is more significant. You did not act, Xiao Ran was not interested in this martial arts contest, without me being the villain, letting you be the good person, how would we grasp their reality?"

He paused for a moment and frowned:

"But I didn't expect Zhao Douan could strike such a blow. His inner strength is so powerful and solid, nearly comparable to the Worldly Realm, are you sure he is merely Middle Grade?"

Chai Keqiao placed the dishes from the food box, shaking his head:

"That strike, it wasn't normal. If I read it right, it was his accumulated energy over a long period, just to vent. Such thick Qi Mechanism was wasted too much on him; if you accumulate like him to the extreme, combined with your mastery over Qi Mechanism, breaking a hundred shields with one sword isn't certain, but seventy to eighty isn't beyond reach."

Qi Ye's tightly knit brow relaxed, and he said:

"So, he indeed is just a decoration?"

Chai Keqiao hesitated to say:

"It's still hard to say, after all, we haven't genuinely sparred, just judging inner strength is too one-sided, but comparatively, in my view, that Tang Jinzhong and Song Jinxi are solid among the Tributors, however… they are not worth worrying over. This generation of Yu Country Royal Family is truly burgeoning with talent."

This mountain woodsman-attired, bronzed-skinned, white-toothed Chai family young master's eyes were full of firm and proud meaning.

Qi Ye also nodded, relieved.

The Imperial Family values "loyalty" too highly, and has hidden the "Martial God" inheritance too deeply, allowing only a very few to access it, which inevitably leads to decline.

Qingshan embraces diversity, not constrained to standard forms in nurturing talent; if we set aside the Royal Family's ability to mobilize resources, they'd have been left in the dust by Qingshan long ago.

This generation has only two eye-catching figures, one is Empress Xu Zhenguan, who reached the "Fake Celestial" level in her twenties, a truly unparalleled woman.

The other is the rising Zhao Douan.

"Rest well, I'll deliver food to Xiao Ran," Chai Keqiao said — as the "captain," he played more of a nursemaid role.

Qi Ye broke his chopsticks calmly and said: "No need, she went out, probably won't return till evening."

Chai Keqiao's face changed slightly, guessing what might have happened: "Did she go to the inner court?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why should I say?"

"…" Chai Keqiao only felt a bit tired, adjusting the axe at his waist, when he heard someone knocking outside the courtyard.

The two exchanged a glance, Chai Keqiao's face was not looking good, he went out to open the door, only to see a Tributor Eunuch standing outside, sleeves folded, standing in the silk-like night, arrogantly saying:

"Xiao Ran from Qingshan trespassed into the inner court and has been captured by Junior Guardian Zhao. If you want her back, come to the Martial Arts Hall."

Chai Keqiao's heart sank.

...

...

Martial Arts Hall.

When Zhao Douan pushed open the house door, he saw Xiao Ran, dressed as a heroine, bound at her hands and feet by specially crafted magic artifact ropes.

She sat quietly on a chair inside the room, her head's straw-hat, her bodice's dagger, and soft sword all confiscated.

"Miss Xiao, after such a battle, you must be hungry."

Zhao Douan smiled, personally carrying a tray with dishes, walked in.

Seeing the dim room, he frowned:

"The subordinates lack awareness, they didn't even light a lamp."

He set down the food, struck a flint to light a candle, covered it with a lampshade, and the warm orange-yellow light drenched the entire house.

Xiao Ran stared coldly at the Empress's adulterer; strands of hair stuck messily to her cheeks, resulted from the dried sweat post-battle.

She said mockingly:

"I've often heard court officials have multiple faces, speaking tailored words to both people and apparitions, how is Junior Guardian Zhao curtsied first and bowing after? You went through the trouble of bringing food and lighting for this mere criminal's daughter?"

Zhao Douan picked up the food again, sat opposite her, with a surprised expression:

"What is Miss Xiao saying? Delivering food? No, no, you misunderstood, this is mine."

He pointed at the exquisite dishes, then pointed at his own nose:

"This is the official's dinner, yes, eating it in front of you."

Xiao Ran: "..."

Her chest heaved slightly, and she closed her eyes, seeking peace of mind.

A moment later, she opened her eyes in anger:

"Can you eat quietly? Stop smacking your lips!"

Zhao Douan, who was concentrated on dealing with a portion of crystal pork knuckles, smiled and said:

"I come from a lowly military officer family, unlike Miss Xiao, who hails from a noble house, with high standing—when it comes to food there's not much for elegance or strict rules like 'no talking while eating or sleeping.' So... if you don't want to hear it, endure it."

"You..." Xiao Ran glared angrily, sneering:

"Vulgar! I really can't fathom how the Empress favors you!"

As soon as she said this, she saw Zhao Douan suddenly pick up a cup of wine from the tray and splash it unexpectedly onto the face of the bound Xiao Ran.

She was momentarily stunned, letting the liquor slip down her face, her eyes cold and silent.

Hmm...this isn't like in the videos; you should have turned your head to dodge it and say something like, "So cold"... Zhao Douan was deeply disappointed, put down the pork knuckles, and wiped the grease off his hands with a handkerchief, saying lightly:

"You are quite brave."

Xiao Ran looked cautiously, though she didn't quite understand, her intuition told her that the traitor in front of her seemed to be toying with her for amusement.

Zhao Douan, devoid of taste, said:

"I'm really curious, being the noble daughter of the Xiao family, even though you are an illegitimate child, yet why were you sent to suffer in the East Sea since childhood?

Surely Old Master Xiao couldn't have predicted the outcome of a slow execution many years later, leaving a lineage? Then it should have been a boy, right? I'm very curious, could Miss Xiao enlighten me on this?"

Xiao Ran did not answer, just stared at him:

"If Chai Keqiao sees that I haven't returned for a long time, he will come looking for you."

No, in fact, I've already notified him, otherwise, why do you think I had to capture you... Zhao Douan smirked.

He obviously understood that "trespassing the Imperial Palace" is a grave crime, but with Qingshan's martial competition, it was impossible to really make a big deal out of it.

"Haha, is that so? Then I shall see if he has the capability to break in and save you. Speaking of which, haven't the eunuchs below searched you yet? Oh, perhaps even if they did, you wouldn't mind; aside from smothering you in saliva, there's nothing else they could do..."

Zhao Douan spoke trash as he slowly stood up, a sinister curve lifting the corners of his mouth, stepping closer to her.

Xiao Ran suddenly tightened: "What do you want to do? Aren't you afraid of the Empress..."

At this moment, a voice like thunder rolled through the Martial Arts Hall courtyard outside:

"Junior Guardian Zhao! Chai is here to fetch someone! I hope to meet you!"

Xiao Ran's eyes lit up as if seeing a savior.

Ruined the mood, hadn't had enough fun yet... Interrupting at the critical moment, you all must have the TV script... Zhao Douan sighed, glanced at Xiao Ran, and stepped out of the room.

...

Outside the Martial Arts Hall main gate.

The entire Imperial Palace was shrouded in a veil-like night, with red lanterns hanging from the ancient gatehouse.

The young master of the Chai family, wearing linen clothes and straw sandals, with an axe stuck in his waist, stood alone confronting a large group of tributors.

The one leading, surprisingly, was Tang Jinzhong, also in the Worldly Realm.

When Zhao Douan emerged from behind the crowd, his face full of disappointment, he spoke condescendingly:

"What are you shouting for, if you've got a loud voice, go out to the front gate and sell your wares."

"..." Chai Keqiao took a deep breath, suppressing the surging anger in his heart, and formally clasped his fists:

"I heard that due to a misunderstanding, Miss Xiao was captured by the Junior Guardian, so Chai has come..."

"Oh, come back tomorrow." Zhao Douan interrupted him, showing no courtesy:

"Involving the harem, it's a big matter, I will interrogate Xiao Ran personally tonight; come back tomorrow morning."

Saying this, he impatiently turned to leave.

Chai Keqiao hesitated, speaking out: "But it was the Junior Guardian who sent someone, asking me to come over..."

Zhao Douan, surprised, said: "I sent someone to find you? Who can prove it?"

He looked towards the group of tributors beside him: "Was it you who went? Or you?"

The tributors all shook their heads harmoniously: "The lord never gave such orders."

Zhao Douan chuckled, standing with his hands behind his back on the steps, looking down condescendingly:

"Chai, I am a man of rules, now can you identify who falsified my orders? If you can't, then you're just being unreasonable."

No matter how good-tempered Chai Keqiao could be, he couldn't hold back his anger this time; how could he not realize that Zhao Douan was clearly toying with him deliberately?

The aim, nothing more than to humiliate and exact revenge.

And as for leaving Xiao Ran in the eunuch's den for the night...even if it's a eunuch's den, with Zhao Douan's deceit and slyness, once he spread the word tomorrow, Xiao Ran's reputation would be completely ruined.

Realizing reasoning was useless, Chai Keqiao took a deep breath, slowly gripping the axe handle on his waist:

"What if I insist on taking someone away?"

Zhao Douan smiled faintly, protecting everyone in front of him:

"Then you'll have to ask them if they agree."

Within fifteen days, any action from both sides could be glossed over as "sparring."

Chai Keqiao's cold gaze swept over the group of Inner Court Tributors led by Tang Jinzhong, he slowly stepped forward, gripping the axe handle in his hand.

Tang Jinzhong and other eunuchs also drew their swords.

"Clang——"

In an instant, the air was filled with killing intent.

Just when both sides were about to clash, suddenly, from the distance came the sound of a carriage moving and wind chimes jingling.

Accompanied by a eunuch's sharp voice:

"The Emperor arrives!"

...

ps: Promised to write more words yesterday, ended up only writing five thousand words, this chapter makes up for it. There will be an update at midnight tonight.