The Empress's No.1 Lackey

"Alas."

Outside the main gate of a Jiangnan garden with white walls and black tiles, Zhao Douan pulled the reins tightly; he did not dismount but simply looked down from atop his horse.

Behind him, a group of Jinyi government officers and imperial guard soldiers, fierce as wolves and tigers after disembarking and mounting their horses, aggressively ushered the Royal Mansion's private army into the gate to announce their arrival.

Then, they threw the corpses of the assassins that had been fished out from the water onto the ground.

"Mr. Zhao, should we really not wait for Mr. Hai and the others to return? If we barge in like this, will the other side..." Shen Juan, the more meticulous one at Lihua Hall, leaned over, full of worry.

Zhao Douan glanced at him and chuckled with a shake of his head:

"Rest easy. If Prince Jing dared to openly clash with me, he wouldn't have sneakily arranged an assassination outside the city. Do not underestimate the endurance of a great figure to bear humiliation. Whoever aspires to achieve great things, how could he be unable to withstand such a provocation from us?"

After he and his men returned to the Capital, they first encountered Xu Qian, Xu Junling and their maids and servants coming to meet them, then followed the elder brother away.

Zhao Douan made a grand entry on the street market, then sent people to inform Feng Ju. He himself led everyone straight into the garden where Prince Jing was staying.

The goal was simple, to vent his anger as well as to amplify his victory, to decisively settle the gamble concerning the "opening of trade."

After calming his subordinates, Zhao Douan, with his energy focused at his dantian, shouted loudly.

After silently counting to ten breaths, a throng emerged from the large house, led no less by Prince Jing and his son.

"Zhao Douan!"

Prince Jing, with an indignant expression and a stance as if bringing storms with his steps, was not yet near when he began to angrily shout:

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Zhao Douan, aloft on his horse, holding a horsewhip, looked down upon the splendidly dressed, powerful Vassal King with an indifferent and mocking face:

"It seems the Prince has finally come out. I was beginning to think you would avoid seeing me."

Prince Jing, with a posture full of righteousness and indignation, noticed the bodies on the ground and frowned deeply:

"Zhao Douan! I am asking you! You stormed into my residence, what is your intention?!"

This was playing dumb with a clear conscience... Seeing his angry and puzzled demeanor, Zhao Douan couldn't help but admire him and wanted to award him an Oscar trophy...

"Prince Jing, not long ago, I was ambushed outside the city and nearly lost my life, were you aware of this?" Zhao Douan asked coldly.

Prince Jing, frowning, replied, "I have just heard of it, but I do not know the details."

Zhao Douan smiled: "Such ignorance of the details, Hou, tell the Prince."

"Yes!"

Hou Renmeng was a pure troublemaker and did not fear Xu Wen at all. He immediately recounted the attempted assassination loudly.

Waiting for him to finish, Zhao Douan's expression darkened, and gripping his riding crop, he pointed at the father and son, arrogantly saying:

"Prince, don't you think you owe me an explanation?"

Prince Jing, with a deeply furrowed brow, said:

"The rebels of the Kuangfu Society dare to assassinate you in broad daylight, how audacious. Yet you come to me for an explanation?"

Zhao Douan, with narrowed eyes and a gentle voice, said:

"Do you think, Prince, that it was the rebels who did this? Yet, the one who appeared with those rebels was Duan Shuiliu, and as everyone knows, right before I entered the city, this Jianghu traveler had troubled me, and at that time, the Princely Heir was right there beside me, if I remember correctly, claiming friendship."

Xu Jinglong's expression changed and he angrily said:

"Zhao Douan, you better not slander me! I do know Duan Shuiliu, but so do many others. The whole Capital knows him. After he was defeated by Mr. Hai, he already fled, and hasn't appeared at all these past few days, who knows how he became involved with the rebels?"

As he spoke, he seemed to have an epiphany:

"Could it be that you're deliberately framing me, seeking revenge on the Princely Heir?"

Zhao Douan, looking down at the father and son performing, his smile widened:

"Oh, so it was Duan Shuiliu acting on his own? Then these assassin corpses, were they also arranged by the rebels?"

"Otherwise?" Prince Jing's face grew stern, "If not the rebels, could it have anything to do with me?"

Zhao Douan let out a light sigh and said:

"I've checked; these men are very clean, with nothing on them to betray their identities. I wanted to capture a few alive, but they all bit into poison and committed suicide... Such a group of dead soldiers, what a pity that they didn't meet a worthy master, and instead served a bunch of ugly scum from the gutters, the big evildoers with treacherous hearts but no courage, selling their lives for such weaklings, don't you think they got what they deserved, Prince?"

Prince Jing clenched his hand hidden in his sleeve until his knuckles turned white, his face as still as water.

Zhao Douan, relentless, with a serious face:

"Why does the Prince not speak? Could it be that you sympathize with these rebels?"

Prince Jing took a deep breath and said with a smile:

"Mr. Zhao is right, they indeed deserve death. Mere rebels, daring to assassinate a courtier, death is too little a loss."

"Indeed, the Prince is sensible," Zhao Douan's smile slightly subsided:

"However, although I trust the Prince, dealing with rebels always requires caution. It seems that Duan Shuiliu fled towards this direction after he was defeated. Considering his acquaintance with the Princely Heir, perhaps he would choose to hide here. You wouldn't mind me conducting a search, would you, Prince?"

After saying that, without waiting for a response, Zhao Douan waved his hand broadly:

"Men, search the house and see if there are any traces of hidden rebel criminals!"

"Yes!"

Hou Renmeng, taking the lead, drew his sword and burst in.

"How dare you..." Xu Jinglong's eyes were about to split with rage as he tried to stop them, but was suddenly grabbed by the Prince Jing beside him, who calmly said: "Let them search."

"But..." Xu Jinglong was anxious, wanting to remind the Princess in the back house.

But by the time a group of officers, fierce as wolves, entered the house, rummaging, smashing, even chopping up the Prince's bed with their swords, they returned having found nothing.