The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Xu Zhenguan was taken aback too, she laughed and sighed, "I was just making a metaphor."

However, Zhao Douan seized the inspiration in his mind, furrowing his brow and shaking his head, said:

"No! Not a metaphor... I was thinking, if Zhuang Xiaocheng has really completely aligned himself with a certain Prince, it would most likely be Prince Jing or Mu Prince... but that's not the point.

The point is, if he's truly pledged allegiance, then the assassination of me should not be carried out by the Kuangfu Society alone; Zhuang Xiaocheng would certainly use the society as leverage to gain strong support from a Prince.

With the help of a Prince, he wouldn't need to necessarily perish together with me..."

"So, it's very likely he hasn't sold himself. Is it possible that Jian Wen is really alive? Or wasn't dead in the first place?"

Zhao Douan voiced this somewhat chilling speculation — absurd as it seemed — when all other possibilities are ruled out, logically, this was indeed the most "reasonable" conclusion.

The Empress was also stunned for a moment and said, "I personally witnessed Jian Wen die amidst chaos and the body was thoroughly examined…"

Suddenly, she remembered something and abruptly closed her mouth.

Zhao Douan's eyes burned as he stared at her, "Gu Huo Daoist! That State Preceptor! I remember, the State Preceptor also died during the coup, leaving a corpse. But it turned out he wasn't truly dead and was actually alive! The one in the palace was merely a 'substitute' of his! And Gu Huo Daoist was Jian Wen's retainer, involved in the coup!"

Xu Zhenguan opened her mouth, "Are you suggesting that Gu Huo Demon Path also used a secret technique to help Jian Wen escape certain death? That the one who initiated the coup in the palace wasn't Jian Wen's 'entire self'? No... your speculation is unfounded, for Gu Huo Demon Path reviving from death is due to his main cultivation of Divine powers, extremely rare..."

Zhao Douan interrupted her words, "Yes, precisely because it's rare, can Your Majesty ensure that he couldn't help others to also create a 'avatar'? During Jian Wen's coup, wouldn't he also consider leaving himself a way out? Moreover, does Your Majesty not think it's too smooth for Zhuang Xiaocheng to gather remnants? What gives him the nerve, to lead a group from the Martial World against the court? Just because of unwillingness? If he were truly unwilling, why would he be willing to perish with me? Isn't this contradictory?"

Xu Zhenguan was left speechless by his barrage of questions!

Her mind was inevitably a bit chaotic.

She had not failed to suspect whether Jian Wen was truly dead, but the body of Jian Wen in the Imperial Palace had been repeatedly examined, not an impersonation.

Moreover, over the past three years, Jian Wen had never shown up.

However...

If it was indeed the doing of Gu Huo National Master, then this "three-year disappearance" could also be explained... Gu Huo Daoist had also disappeared for nearly three years.

Since the creation of an avatar requires tearing apart half of the Divine Soul.

When the avatar dies, the remaining half-life will fall into a long-term weakness, even causing Gu Huo Demon Path to hide away for two years to recuperate.

In that case, if Jian Wen hid away to recuperate, placing Zhuang Xiaocheng in the open, doesn't this also make sense?

"I... I need to go back and carefully review the files from that time, to find any clues," the Empress was silent for a moment, her eyes sharp, "If Jian Wen indeed made such arrangements, there must be traces left behind."

The coup back then involved too many people.

After the coup, the Empress ascended the throne, having killed many who participated in the usurpation, leaving countless testimonies, files, and data.

Wanting to peel away and investigate anew is a huge undertaking, but no matter how absurd she thinks it is, it has to be done.

"I was merely wildly guessing without any basis, moreover, it is indeed extraordinarily bizarre." Zhao Douan comforted as he saw her expression.

Xu Zhenguan glanced at him, noticing his thoughts, suddenly smiled calmly, and the room seemed to brighten up: "There's no need for you to worry, even if we take ten thousand steps back and say Jian Wen is still alive, what of it? Does this criminal dare to come forward? How many chips does he have in his hand? Back then, even with his ample troops, I was able to quell the unrest alone. Now he only has a group of remnants, what is there to fear?"

Zhao Douan was taken aback, confirming that Zhenbao indeed thought so, chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I was making a fuss over nothing."

For both of them, having resolved so many enemies and difficulties, an extra opportunistic Jian Wen is no big deal, right?

They exchanged a smile.

The tense atmosphere in the study room dissolved completely.

Having finished discussing serious matters, the two exchanged silent glances with a slightly ambiguous atmosphere forming.

Not having seen each other for over two months, Zhao Douan couldn't help but feel a little reluctant, and Xu Zhenguan didn't actively prompt him to leave either.

Feeling the urge to gently provoke, say some sweet nothings, but Zhao Douan glanced at the old dog lying in the box and felt awkward again.

"Come over here," Xu Zhenguan suddenly said softly.

"Huh?" Zhao Douan was confused, a bit dazed.

Xu Zhenguan, seeing the seemingly dumbfounded Little Forbidden Army who had earlier devised a hundred sinister plans, couldn't help but smile. She quite straightforwardly beckoned him over, casually discarding the "portrait" on the table, spread new white paper, and personally ground the ink, pretending to be stern as she said, "Your drawing skills are too poor, I am in a good mood today, so I will teach you personally, will you learn?"

Chinese painting?

Indeed, I should learn, Chinese painting must be learned!

Zhao Douan seemed possessed by Mr. Hou, instinctively approaching, feeling a bit at a loss, "How do I do it."

Xu Zhenguan glanced at his tall and sturdy build, estimating that he couldn't replicate the pose of a school teacher teaching a child to draw, simply reversed the order, saying, "You stand behind me, hold the pen in a moment, I'll guide you to draw once."

"Oh..."

Zhao Douan walked to the back of the Empress, saw her sit lightly, began skillfully adjusting the ink, proficiently selecting pens from the pen holder, after soaking it in ink, Xu Zhenguan sitting in the armchair raised her fair and white wrist, slid off a section of her sleeve, holding the fine brush in a standard posture as if carved from white jade, suspended above the xuan paper, said, "Hold the pen."

"Oh... oh oh..."

Zhao Douan, somewhat awkwardly adjusting his posture, stood behind the Empress, slightly bent over, lowering his body, this posture as if embracing her.

The familiar scent of vanilla wafted to his nose from her body, Zhao Douan's side face slowly approached the Empress's swan neck, he noticed that accompanying his closeness, a fine layer of down on Zhenbao's fair neck stood up, swaying gently with his breath.

Visibly starting to blush, yet did not evade, more like a silent acknowledgment.

Zhao Douan's boldness grew, his posture became slightly more intimate, only regretting the circle chair between them... His right hand reached around the Empress's shoulder towards the brush, a pair of eyes craftily gazing downwards along the collar, only to be disappointed finding no gap in the tightly sealed collar, merely glimpsing the exposed swan neck where a piece of verdant jade hung from a necklace hidden within the collar.

His right hand touching the brush suddenly brushed against a soft coolness.

"..."

"..."

"Where are you reaching? Hold the pen! Not the hand!"

"Oh... oh oh..."

He hurriedly let go of the small hand he was covering, grasping the upper end of the pen shaft.

The Empress sighed helplessly.