The First Lackey Under The Empress

How strong was Zhao Du'an's power in the capital?

The You family, driven out like stray dogs, had no idea.

【Writing this, I hope readers will remember our domain name Taiwan Novel Network → ⓣ ⓦ ⓚ ⓐ ⓝ . ⓒ ⓞ ⓜ】

But they naturally assumed that if one path was blocked, they could simply take another.

You Zhan'de was a man of great action. Returning to the inn, he ordered his servants to buy medicine to treat his wife and children's injuries. Then, he turned around and began seeking connections according to the list in his hand.

His first stop was Feng Ju, a secretary in the Ministry of Personnel.

According to the middleman who introduced them, this Master Secretary might only be a fifth-rank official with no prominent reputation, but he was actually "inscrutable."

Promotion was just a matter of months away. After the court issued the new policy, the task of implementing the performance evaluation method fell on the shoulders of a mere few people in the Ministry of Personnel, one of whom was Feng Ju.

You Zhan'de figured that this "Lord Feng" must be even more powerful than Zhao Du'an.

Considering Zhao Du'an's notorious reputation and his hidden status as an enemy of many officials, You Zhan'de decided that when he visited, he would never mention his relationship with Zhao Du'an.

Money could move gods, and he didn't believe Feng Ju wasn't greedy.

Initially, things went smoothly. Although he didn't get to see the Master Secretary Feng, the Feng family's steward agreed to pass on a message.

You Zhan'de waited expectantly at the inn all night.

However, he didn't know that as soon as he left the Feng residence, a Pear Blossom Hall officer hidden in the shadows stepped through the Feng family's threshold.

… …

The next day, when You Zhan'de excitedly went to call again, he was greeted with a closed door.

Feng Ju only ordered the steward to return one word:

“Get lost.”

You Zhan'de didn't understand why the other party's attitude was so hostile.

But as the head of a family, he could be flexible. He forced a smile and left, turning around to visit the second, third, and fourth families on the list…

In the following days, You Zhan'de, with money in hand, visited them one by one.

But it was as if he had seen a ghost. Similar "face changes" happened again and again.

Either he was directly rejected, or the initial attitude changed drastically.

In the two most extreme cases, he even met with the officials on the list, and the two sides almost reached a consensus.

As a result, as soon as he left, the other party's servant chased after him and coldly tore up the agreement.

The money-paving method, which had always been successful in his past life, had failed.

In the vast capital, countless officials had uniformly closed their doors to him.

Walking in the bustling capital, You Zhan'de inexplicably felt a chill of early autumn.

“Could it be because of that Zhao fellow?”

In the inn, the bejeweled Madam You analyzed shrewdly:

“Those officials, if they want to accept our gifts, they will definitely investigate our background. As a result, they know that we are related to Zhao Du'an, so they turned against us?”

You Zhan'de shook his head:

“That's the most likely possibility, but these dog officials have investigated a little too quickly.”

Madam You sneered:

“It must be. I said that Zhao's reputation is terrible. As soon as people hear that we are related to the Zhao family, how can they be willing to make money with us? That Zhao fellow is already hated by everyone. Hateful! Your niece's light didn't rub off on us at all, but instead caused us a whole lot of trouble.”

You Zhan'de frowned:

“I still feel that something is not right. Tomorrow, let's go together to visit our clan uncle and inquire about the news.”

The clan uncle he mentioned was an official of the You family's main line in Xiping in the capital.

He was unwilling to deal with him, fearing that the main line would interfere, but things had come to this point, so he had to go see him.

… …

The next day.

The couple left their son at the inn and went together. This time, they were finally not turned away.

However, when You Zhan'de told his clan uncle, who was an official in the Ministry of Works, about his experience, the other party was not surprised at all.

He just looked at them with pity. The You family official with a goatee said in a complicated tone:

“I figured you would come to inquire. Heh, do you know who you have offended?”

The You couple were stunned. They didn't expect that their clan uncle already knew. They were both embarrassed and confused:

“Offended someone? We have only been in the capital for less than ten days. When we visited the officials in the capital, we were all trembling with fear. How dare we offend anyone… If we had to say, it would only be…”

The clan uncle chuckled: “Remember?”

You Zhan'de's face was ugly:

“Is it really because of that Zhao Du'an? But our relationship with his Zhao family is not harmonious. Even if the officials are angry, it shouldn't be to the point of… Wait… ”

He suddenly realized something was wrong: “Clan uncle, are you saying…”

The old green-robed official with a goatee sighed and shook his head:

“You, ah, are so stupid. When you come to the capital, don't you know to find out clearly who can be offended and who cannot be offended?

Do you think that you are not welcome because you are related to the Zhao family? You are completely wrong!

In fact, the reason why those people refuse to have anything to do with you is precisely because you have offended that King Yama Zhao.

As far as I know, in the past few days, all officials below the fifth rank in the capital have received instructions from the Pear Blossom Hall that anyone who dares to have any involvement with your You family will be an enemy of King Yama Zhao…

Heh, not to mention the few you have seen, even if you break your legs running, I dare say that no one in this capital will give you any good face.

Even if you have the ability to find someone with the third rank, second rank, or even the current first rank, it will still be useless!”

The You couple were dumbfounded, and they only felt that their inherent impressions had collapsed.

“Clan… clan uncle, I heard that Zhao Du'an is just a disgraced person who even went to jail last time. The house he lives in doesn't look impressive…”

The old official scoffed:

“Didn't your father teach you that people can't be judged by their appearance? Where did you get the news from? It's completely wrong. If that King Yama Zhao is considered disgraced, then there are no favored officials in the world!

Do you know how much favor His Majesty has bestowed upon him?

He has a close relationship with the current Grand Tutor and even the Censor-in-chief Yuan Gong… Even the old Grand Secretary, the current Prime Minister, rumors say has suffered losses at his hands…

How dare you provoke him?

Regarding the imperial merchant matter you are seeking, that King Yama Zhao doesn't even need to come forward. He can handle it with just a word. But you sought far and wide…

Alas, forget it, hurry home and don't bother anymore, lest you involve my You family's main line and displease that King Yama Zhao…”

With that, the old man picked up his teacup, meaning to see them off.

The couple walked out of the mansion in a daze.

Standing on the empty street, they suddenly realized they had been wrong from the start.

The shattered cups and saucers were indeed genuine antiques.

"Slap!"

You Zhande suddenly slapped his wife, his teeth itching with anger:

"You, you've ruined everything with that mouth of yours."

Madam You looked aggrieved but didn't dare to retort, weakly saying:

"Why don't we go and beg your niece again?"

You Zhande shook his head with a bitter smile:

"It's useless. Now, the only option is to beg Young Master Lu."

He was still unwilling to leave in such a disheveled manner and wanted to make a final struggle.

… …

… …

Inside room 甲子 in a certain inn in the capital.

A young man named Lu Baifeng sat at the table, quietly flipping through documents.

He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a handsome appearance, typical of someone from the Northwest.

He possessed an extraordinary bearing, combining the nobility of a scion of a great family with the chivalry of a young master, a brocade robe fastened with a belt inlaid with purple jade.

Beside him stood a pretty maid.

However, the maid's small hands were not delicate; her palms were calloused from years of holding weapons.

Beside the maid, a heavy umbrella, weighing several pounds, leaned against the corner of the wall.

"Young Master, are you really not going to contact the 'comrades' in the capital?"

The maid couldn't help but ask.

Lu Baifeng, an alias, was in reality "Thousand-Faced Divine Lord," ranked twenty-eighth among the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals of the Kuangfu Society, raised his head, smiled, and shook his head:

"Qingniao, do you know why Frostwind Sword died after entering the capital?"

The maid named Qingniao said:

"Because he didn't investigate thoroughly? He underestimated Zhao Du'an's trump cards?"

Lu Baifeng shook his head:

"No, it's because he relied too much on that bunch of Kuangfu Society trash in the capital."

This martial arts expert, famous in the Jianghu for his meticulous mind and versatility, sneered:

"There are many in the Society who excel in martial strength, but not many who are willing to use their brains.

When Grand Tutor Zhuang was stationed in the capital, he directed things, and the capital branch could be considered an extension of his arm, but after Grand Tutor Zhuang left, it became a scattered mess.

That Wu Ling rashly went to assassinate him, thinking he was brave, but he stirred up a hornet's nest, alerting the Zhao traitor…

Frostwind Sword was an even more pure swordsman, straightforward in his thinking. Not only did he fail to kill the person, but he also lost a treasure like the Taixu Scroll…"

Qingniao listened quietly to his comments, remaining silent.

She had a hidden apprehension towards the Thousand-Faced Divine Lord.

Even after being by his side for several years, she had never seen the Thousand-Faced Divine Lord's true face.

The man before her seemed to be wearing a disguise at all times.

Each time he switched identities, even his personality would change.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this," Lu Baifeng said with disinterest, throwing down the various documents, including those about Zhao Du'an, and standing up with his hands behind his back:

"Besides, who knows if there are any internal spies within the Kuangfu Society in the capital?"

Qingniao said: "Is Young Master worried that Frostwind Sword's failure was because his whereabouts were leaked by an internal spy in the Society?"

Lu Baifeng said:

"Maybe yes, maybe no. In any case, there's no need to take risks. Let the officials keep an eye on the Kuangfu Society so that we can act better.

Speaking of which, this Zhao Du'an is truly strange. The things he's done in the past two months have greatly surprised even Grand Tutor Zhuang, who only regrets not going all out to suppress him back then. Now, he's become a major problem."

After a pause, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth:

"However, this Divine Lord loves killing geniuses the most. I wouldn't bother to make a move against mediocrities."

At this moment, Qingniao suddenly looked towards the door and reached out to put away the documents on the table.

Shortly after, there was a knock on the door.

When You Zhande and his wife entered with smiles, they saw the son of a local powerful family, Lu Family's Third Young Master, elegantly drinking tea, with his beautiful maid by his side.

"Patriarch You, it's been a few days. Has everything been going smoothly for you in the capital?" The Thousand-Faced Divine Lord was full of grace.

You Zhande smiled bitterly. After exchanging pleasantries, he euphemistically explained the situation he was facing.

The Thousand-Faced Divine Lord laughed heartily, not caring at all:

"I thought it was something serious. I'll think of a solution for this matter. How about I give you news in a couple of days? Heh, but if needed, I may need to trouble the Patriarch to help with some small tasks."

You Zhande was overjoyed and readily agreed.

He also promised that if things were successful, the You family could share its trade route from Xiping Road to the Western Regions with Young Master Lu in the future…

Lu Baifeng had mentioned this matter several times on the way to the capital.

This was also the reason why You Zhande dared to ask for his help—

Offering courtesy for no reason is either treason or robbery.

The Lu family was a large family in the Northwest. A noble young master needed to win over forces to gain power in the family.

You Zhande believed that the other party had taken a fancy to the You family's trade route, which was why he had befriended him.

After a hearty conversation, after watching the You family couple leave, the Thousand-Faced Divine Lord's smile turned cold, and he narrowed his eyes, as if plotting something:

"Since that's the case, the plan should also be changed."

Turning his head, he instructed Qingniao:

"Tonight, this Divine Lord will be going out."

… …

… …

The next day.

In the morning, Zhao Du'an arrived at the Zhao Yamen by carriage and went to the Pear Blossom Hall to clock in as usual.

These past two days, he had been busy with moving.

The bonus that Jin Jian gave him was just enough to help him acquire a grand three-courtyard mansion in the inner city.

Regarding the move, his stepmother and younger sister showed great enthusiasm.

Zhao Du'an simply spread his hands and entrusted all the trivial matters to them, acting as a hands-off shopkeeper.

After changing houses, his greatest physical sensation was that his commuting time to work was greatly shortened.

"Sure enough, happiness is not having to get up early for work and having the company downstairs," Zhao Du'an stepped into the Pear Blossom Hall, feeling great.

The corners of his mouth were upturned.

It would be much more convenient to see Zhenbao in the palace in the future.

However, the upturned corners of his mouth didn't last long before they were suppressed by an unexpected event.

"Lord, you've finally arrived. Director-General is looking for you. He said that a murder occurred in the city last night, and it's related to the rebel party," Qian Kerou said with a serious expression.

Murder? Rebel party?

Zhao Du'an raised his eyebrows and, for no reason, smelled a chill in the summer morning of the capital.