The Empress's No.1 Lackey

"Speak carefully!"

Inside the carriage, Zhao Douan's expression slightly changed.

Zhu Kui explained,

"Following Your Honor's instructions, my team and I were hidden at a distance to surveil this area when we unexpectedly recognized a familiar face.

At first, I thought I saw wrongly, but upon closer inspection, I confirmed it was a confidant of Zhang Changshuo. This person sneaked sneakily into the inn opposite Dingfeng Building and leaned against the window to look toward Your Honor."

He paused briefly before adding,

"I dared not alarm the person, but I vaguely saw the glint of Magic, seemingly using a Recording Scroll."

A Recording Scroll... Zhao Douan was taken aback. In the original host's memory, it belonged to the consumable type of "Magic Artifact," produced by the Heavenly Master Mansion, able to record images and also possessing the "penetrative" ability.

How to use it is as follows:

The person holding the scroll could temporarily possess "X-ray vision" and convert the scenes seen into images on the scroll... with accompanying sound...

Zhao Douan felt that the Magician who invented this Magic Artifact was somewhat frivolous.

Since mortals could also use it and it had a wide range of applications, hence it was expensively priced.

It was not surprising that Zhang Changshuo could acquire it, but him sending someone to secretly follow and record him was indeed intriguing.

Connecting the cause and effect, how could Zhao Douan not guess the other party's intentions?

"Walls fall down when everyone pushes..." Zhao Douan frowned.

In the past, just privately meeting with Wang Xian wouldn't have been enough to pose a threat.

But now, it was different.

The other party was willing to spend a great deal to secretly film him, obviously planning to make a big issue of it.

And with the "fishing" plan just starting, if Zhang Changshuo became impatient and blew the whistle, then Zhao Douan's "self-rescue" plan might be forced to abort.

Something must be done...

"My lord," the burly and loyal Zhu Kui, observing Zhao Douan's expression, made a "killing" gesture with his hand, "Should I retrieve the object?"

Zhao Douan glanced at him, "Do you really want me dead?"

Not to mention the risk of attacking a colleague, plunging right into the enemy's trap, let alone the fact that Zhang Changshuo daring to act meant he wouldn't be unprepared.

Rashly grabbing it could likely push the situation into even worse territory.

What he feared most now was risk.

"Let it be, pretend we didn't see anything."

As Zhao Douan's thoughts turned, he already had a plan:

"Return to the government office, immediately, right away!"

...

...

On the other hand.

Inside a private room of a tea house.

The handsome, mustache-twirling Zhang Changshuo stood by the table.

A scroll lay unfolded on the table with dynamic images slowly appearing and faint voices resonating.

"Excellent!"

Zhang Changshuo laughed heartily, high-spirited:

"At last, I've caught you red-handed."

One of his close officers chimed in,

"This Zhao thief has always been arrogant and rampant. At this critical juncture, he still doesn't know restraint, daring to mess with the Lord of Ning'an County, truly seeking his own death."

Zhang Changshuo, in a great mood, shook his head and said:

"Grand Ancestor Emperor once said, 'Before Heaven wants to destroy a man, it first makes him crazy'... This thief, relying on Her Majesty's slight favor, acts recklessly. How foolish?

I thought that having just made a big mistake, he would restrain himself a bit, but to my surprise, his arrogance has intensified. Probably he vented the frustrations he experienced during the day on this official.

He won't know that his actions have already been caught by my discerning eyes."

Thinking that Zhao Douan was still in the dark about his tactics, Zhang Changshuo couldn't help but feel a surge of intellectual superiority.

"My lord, when should we submit this scroll?" the officer asked.

"No rush, let's wait a bit longer," Zhang Changshuo pondered for a moment and said:

"These alone aren't enough. Wait till the Zhao thief really acts as promised, interferes with the Ministry of Justice, then we truly have powerful evidence."

He planned to personally present the evidence before the Empress when the time came, crushing Zhao Douan underfoot as he rose to power.

...

...

"Let's stop here."

As the carriage turned into a cold, deserted street, Zhao Douan awoke from his feigned sleep and spoke.

The coachman, Zhu Kui, was taken aback:

"Your Excellency, the government office is still two streets away."

"I know," Zhao Douan replied calmly,

"Wait here, don't move, I'll be back shortly."

With that, he leaped out of the carriage, his dark robe vanishing into the dimly lit alleyway.

Zhu Kui clutched the whip, leaning on the carriage lost in thought, murmuring softly to himself.

For some reason, he always felt his master had changed.

...

In the distance,

alone, Zhao Douan walked two streets ensuring no one was following him, then arrived outside the rear courtyard wall of White Horse Hall.

Avoiding the front and back main entrances, he looked at the about-yard-high grey brick wall. A surge of energy flowed from his dan tian and suddenly sank into his legs, with one leap, he flew into the courtyard.

"This Qinggong, in future movies, could make me a martial arts star… well, more likely no connections, just a stunt double…"

Zhao Douan landed lightly, feeling fresh novelty towards the martial arts of this world.

However, now was not the time for exploration and cultivation, he had to first survive this ordeal.

Under the night sky, the government office was cold and quiet.

Zhao Douan, familiar with the route, reached the back office where the highest official of White Horse Hall, the "Supervisor", resided.

The back office was the residence given to the Supervisor. At this moment, the rear hall was brightly lit; through the paper window, one could see the room's master sitting upright at the desk, seemingly handling official documents.

Zhao Douan took a deep breath, straightened his robes, and then gently knocked on the room door.

"Come in."

An aged voice that differed from the stereotypical sharp tone of "eunuchs" in TV dramas emanated from within.

Zhao Douan pushed open the room door, and candlelight spilled through the door gap.

The room was simply furnished, with a desk in the center piled with disorganized books and documents.

A small oil lamp flickered dimly.

Behind it, an old eunuch with white at his temples and deep-set eyes, wearing loose robes, put down his writing brush. His eyebrows furrowed tightly at the sight of his visitor:

"Is it you… What do you want?"

His tone was cold, his demeanor distant.

The relationship between the Old Director and Zhao Douan was not ideal.

This was partly due to the original Zhao Douan's "character" being too poor, despised by both humans and ghosts, and also due to the accumulated disappointment from their long association.

At first, before rumors of an affair with the Empress had circulated, the original Zhao Douan was not a bad person; in fact, he was quite good.

Because of this, the Old Director had cared for him, and their relationship was once harmonious.

Moreover, the original Zhao Douan's ability to catch the Empress's eye was also aided by the Old Director.

To say there was a favor of support was no exaggeration.

But as the original Zhao Douan gained power, their relationship gradually deteriorated.

There had never been direct confrontations, but the Old Director frequently advised him to beware of arrogance and indulgence, which the original Zhao Douan found rather annoying.

Later, as the original gathered more enemies outside, some of whom were influential, they went to the Hall to demand justification.

The Old Director repeatedly stepped in to help resolve conflicts, asking him to apologize and back down to easily settle matters, but instead of gratitude,

he received only: "Why should I bow my head? Why do you meddle so much?"

Thus, the old eunuch who had weathered many political storms gradually grew disappointed with the original Zhao Douan, and eventually, they became virtually strangers.

If Zhang Changshuo was an enemy, then the Old Director was purely a friendly force ruined by Zhao Douan himself.

"Can't I come to visit you if I have nothing specific?" Zhao Douan said with a smile.

The Old Director snorted in his heart, his words tinged with sarcasm:

"Creating trouble and now coming to me to save your ass? This simple fifth-rank official robe of mine can't shield you from the wrath of the entire court, you'd better leave."

He assumed that Zhao Douan was here because of the affair of releasing the rioters, seeking his help in speaking favorably.

He regretted his words the moment they left his lips.

For he had said similar things many times before, and each time, they only provoked cold and defiant retorts from Zhao Douan.

However, this time, Zhao Douan merely blinked, then smiled and said:

"I didn't come to ask for your mercy."

He walked to the opposite side of the desk, pushing forward a finely carved ivory dragon-patterned folding fan, a compensation from Ning'an County that was quite valuable, and bowed deeply with sincere grace:

"I came to apologize to you."

The Old Director was stunned.