The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Unexpected events always come unexpectedly, and after parting with the Red Sect Master, Zhao Douan still felt surreal.

Although gaining a die-hard follower out of the blue was quite abrupt, regardless of their true intentions, it was still of great significance to bring the leader of the Western Regions' Red Sect into his fold.

Even though this Buddhist cultivator who was also at the "World" level was not as adept in combat as his adversary, Da Jing,

As one of the leaders of the Five Directions Monk Group, his connections and strength were perhaps even vaguely beyond Princess Wen Zhu.

And after the secret meeting, over the following days, the aftermath of the Buddhist Debating Scripture gradually stabilized.

The Divine Dragon Temple and the Western Regions Monk Group tacitly kept silent, not arguing or fighting, much to the disappointment of many who enjoyed the drama in the Capital.

At the same time, Princess Wen Zhu also successfully reached a trade agreement with the Empress for the upcoming year, everything went smoothly without further complications.

Later, the Western Regions Monk Group and Princess Wen Zhu, one after the other, bid farewell to the Empress and left the Capital.

"I thought the princess would stay in the Capital to spend the New Year or something."

At the west gate of the Capital.

Wearing an official robe, Zhao Douan stood among a group of officials who had come to see off the princess, watching the distant caravan on the official road and exhaling a cloud of white breath in the cold wind, and remarked with emotion.

Beside him stood female detective Haitang and Zhang Han, two colleagues who glanced at him, with the former snorting,

"Do you seem to be quite reluctant to part with her? Why don't you chase after her and go to the Western Regions?"

Zhao Douan clasped his fists in a salute, with the look of a loyal and righteous subject,

"I am wholeheartedly loyal to Your Majesty; Master Hai, do not speak nonsense!"

"Heh, heh," Haitang, arms crossed, rolled her eyes and didn't bother to argue.

It was Haitang who had led the investigation into the true identity of Mr. Lin, so she was one of the few who knew about Mr. Zhao's relationship with Princess Wen Zhu.

"Let's disperse, it's all over for now. Come on, I'll treat you two to a pickled cabbage hotpot."

With a playful smirk, Zhao Douan waved his hands and swiftly headed with his Imperial Court colleagues towards a restaurant in the city.

They ordered a big table full of copper hotpot with pickled cabbage, accompanied by freshly sliced meat, thoroughly enjoying the feast.

Relishing the rare peace, a group of Jinyi sat together and inevitably talked about various end-of-year events in the city.

As military generals, the conversation naturally shifted to the end-of-year tradition of regional commanders returning to the Capital for their reports.

"This time, there are quite a few military officers returning to the Capital, but the three who matter the most are still those two Dukes and one General," the expressionless Zhang Han lamented.

Zhao Douan was no longer a political novice, chiming in,

"Duke Tang, Duke Cao, and Zhao Shixiong?"

Duke Tang Daren stationed on Xiping Road, controlling the entrance to the Western Regions, had extremely senior rank... though his name was really something to scoff at.

Duke Cao Mao, stationed north of the Capital at Iron Pass Road, accurately speaking, was in Jubei City.

His military strength was significantly less than the former's.

Initially, the northern border army was said to defend against the Alien Race living in the Mubei Forest, self-named "Snow Country."

But since the northern land was vast and sparsely populated, the Snow Country Alien Race seldom approached Yu Country's borders, and there had been no battles for many years, hence the troops at Iron Pass Road were the fewest but individually fierce.

Zhao Shixiong, on the other hand, commanded the southwest border army in Yunfu Road, regularly suppressing bandits and defending against the Liao Clan in the mountains, known for his prowess in battle.

He was once considered a contender to match General Xue Shence, who commanded the Divine Mechanism Camp and the Capital Camp of the Privy Council.

"Yeah, speaking of which, how exactly are you planning to deal with Duke Tang? I heard that the Duke is quite protective of his family, and you gave the Young Master a hard time," Haitang said, pinching her chopsticks and taking a bite of a thick slice of meat, curious and gossipy.

Zhang Han frowned and said,

"Duke Tang is a reasonable man; surely everything will be fine with a clear explanation. Besides, hasn't the Young Master returned to the Divine Mechanism Camp?"

Haitang scoffed in disbelief,

"I don't buy that those grandees are so easy to get along with, just like Duke Cao in the north, who is said to rely on his seniority..."

Zhao Douan remained silent, not wanting to join the discussion. To him, if the other party was reasonable, he would treat them with respect; if they weren't...

"Da da da..."

Suddenly, outside the restaurant on the street, there were riders stirring up dust as they galloped past, drawing Zhao Douan's attention.

"Who could that be? Judging by the military uniform, it looks like troops from Zhao Shixiong's southwest border army," one colleague at the table noted.

Zhao Douan pursed his lips, and after finishing the meal, everyone returned to the government office.

In the afternoon, Zhao Douan received a piece of news:

Commander Zhao Shixiong of the southwest border army cited disturbances among the Yunfu Road Alien Race as a reason, and couldn't return to the Capital at the end of the year.

It was said that the Empress was silent for a long while before sending a letter back to the southwest expressing her consolation to Zhao Shixiong.

…

Xiping Road.

The gateway to the Western Regions was marked by a city primarily painted in hues of yellow and gray.

"Xi lu lu!"

Outside the city gate, a troop of cavalry halted, and at the front, a woman—a female general—remarkably took her place on a mixed-blood steed!

The female general was gallant, in her thirties, and bore a resemblance to Young Master Tang Ping.

Clad in soft armor and carrying a longbow on her back, she sat astride her horse, holding a horse lance in her hands, its tip gleaming coldly. Her skin, tanned from the sun, appeared reddish black, and her demeanor was as wild as a Rouge Horse from beyond the frontier.

Tang Zhao held the reins tightly with one hand, shouting at the guards on the city gate:

"Are the gates not open yet!?"

The guards hastened to wave the command flag, and the city gates opened with a clatter. Along with the cheers of "Welcoming General Tang back to the city," a majestic procession, led by a lance-wielding female general, entered the city in grand array.

Thereafter, leaving the cavalry behind, she galloped straight towards the "Capital Army Mansion" in the heart of the city.

Dismounting in front of the imposing mansion gate, she tossed her heavy horse lance to the approaching soldier and barged in.

Inside the Capital Army Mansion, the front housed the dignified government office, but the rear was an array of pavilions and towers reminiscent of Jiangnan.

Though in winter when all was withered, clusters of cold-resistant green trees, transplanted here, still added a touch of brightness to the estate.

"The Second Miss has returned!"

At the rear of the Capital Army Mansion, where Duke Tang Daren lived, servants of the Tang Mansion were busy packing. Seeing Tang Zhao return, they all paid their respects.

As the daughter of a duke, Tang Zhao had practiced martial arts from a young age and had come to Xiping Road with her father early on. Now she held the position of a flank general in the city.

She breezed through the pavilions and towers, casually inquiring about her father's whereabouts. Then, she crossed the corridor and pushed open the door to a room.

Inside the spacious room were several bookshelves. Aside from books, the shelves also held long swords and armor, and the large desk showcased writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones of extraordinary quality.

At this moment, an elegantly dressed elder was at the desk, calligraphy ink splashing as he wrote. His face was weathered, yet his eyes were sharp and commanding. Standing there, it was clear that he limped due to an awkward stance in one leg—evidently a cripple.

"Heh, back already? Was your patrol smooth this time?"

Duke Tang put down his thick brush and smiled at his daughter who had just burst into the room.

Tang Zhao had no regard for the etiquette of a noble family; entering the room, she first grabbed the teapot on the desk and guzzled it down, then, wiping the corner of her mouth, she smeared a crude red streak across her cheek where rouge from her lips had dragged.

"Encountered a few troublemakers, gave them a beating, nothing else."

Tang Zhao spoke nonchalantly, then asked,

"I noticed the mansion is being packed up as I came in. What's all this?"

Duke Tang, unconcerned about his daughter's rudeness, chuckled,

"Perfect timing for your return. Now that the military affairs here are settled, we're preparing to return to the Capital for the New Year."

Tang Zhao's eyes lit up, then she spoke solemnly,

"I haven't even come back yet, and you've already started packing. Old man, were you planning to leave me behind and head home by yourself?"

"Ha ha, how could that be?" said Duke Tang, his voice betraying a hint of guilt.

Tang Zhao couldn't be bothered with her father, who clearly lacked substantial learning but always fancied himself as cultured, and said,

"At least we can go back to the Capital now. Wandering around this place all day, I'm about to suffocate. I wonder if my younger brother's martial prowess has improved this year. I'd like to test him when we return. Oh right, has the family sent any letters during this period?"

Duke Tang knew what she was asking about and said leisurely,

"There's been a letter, but nothing important."

Tang Zhao paused, then asked,

"Still no mention of that Zhao Douan matter?"

"No mention," Duke Tang stated indifferently,

"You know your brother's temperament; he prefers to make decisions on his own. He doesn't like to discuss it in letters, probably to avoid other people's criticism, saying that he's riding on his father's coattails."

Father and daughter, situated on the borders of Xiping, could only learn about their family affairs in the Capital through letters. In the past few months, they had heard about a Yama Zhao rising rapidly in the Capital, deeply favored by the Empress.

In just a few months, he jumped several ranks to fourth-rank and was appointed to the Divine Mechanism Camp, where he clashed with the Young Master, pulling rank over him and driving him from his post. Somehow, the Young Master managed to return later.

The specifics remained unknown to the public.

And in the few letters sent home, Tang Ping made absolutely no mention of his own predicaments, which only deepened the suspicions of both father and daughter. Duke Tang wasn't too concerned—he had always held that his children needed to weather hardships. Since it wasn't a serious issue, he didn't press further.

But Tang Zhao couldn't sit still any longer. At his words, she slapped the table, her unadorned face frosty,

"My little brother cares about his face and doesn't want to involve the family when things happen. But I can't pretend to be ignorant!

Where did this pretty-faced upstart come from, gaining favor and rising through the ranks faster than a middle-aged man's bedroom affairs? Surely he's leveraging the Emperor's support, throwing his weight around in the army. Otherwise, why would my brother be adversarial toward him? Old man, what do you think we should do?"

Duke Tang, who limped with one leg and sported a beard, tactfully changed the subject,

"Even though our household doesn't value petty formality, a woman should still be mindful of her speech. Such brutal language..."

Tang Zhao snorted, "If you won't say, then I'll handle it myself. Just don't expect me to keep quiet out of consideration for the Emperor's feelings."

Duke Tang, appearing amiable but with his sharp edges well concealed, smiled without making a sound, effectively giving his consent.

It seemed in his view, even if dealing with the Empress's favored minister would displease the Emperor and lead to suspicions, it was not significant.

"I'll go pack my things." Tang Zhao declared, turning on her heel and walking away.

Watching her retreating figure, Duke Tang then glanced down at the newly transcribed poem "Returning Border Song" and the verse "Lines of border returnees end, pondering alone where you ought to be," and muttered softly,

"Zhao Douan..."

...

Iron Pass Road, Jubei City.

Today, the city gates were flung wide open, and a large number of officials and soldiers lined up on both sides of the road to respectfully see Duke An, Cao Mao, off to the Capital.

The vast procession left behind the lonely grand city, garnering all eyes as they moved on, with the armored, white-haired Cao Mao riding ahead, his expression impassive.

Suddenly, a light cavalry rushed from behind the group.

...

The next chapter will likely be updated at midnight.