The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 130 - 117. Capture Marquis Xiajiang_2

Feng Ju’s residence was even closer than the Imperial Court, and so, the two pieces of news almost arrived simultaneously.

All three men were stunned.

The slightly plump scholar and the middle-aged man in a hood looked at each other, never having imagined that Lord Zhao, with his venomous and ruthless heart, could actually be so reliable.

And with such power, to be able to mobilize the entire force of the Imperial Court...

Was this really a power that a Master could possess?

Feng Ju was completely dumbfounded.

Then, nearly weeping with joy, the stress that had accumulated over the day suddenly relaxed, and his heart was filled with a mix of emotions.

He hadn’t expected that Zhao Douan, with whom he had only a one-time acquaintance and whom he had used for his own ends, would be willing to go to such lengths to help him.

"Prepare the carriage, I want to go to the Imperial Court and thank Mr. Zhao in person," Feng Ju stated solemnly.

However, the house servant said:

"The female Colonel with the surname Qian said that Mr. Zhao might be busy tonight, and it may not be appropriate for Master to go now."

Busy? Busy with what?

The three men exchanged glances, and an astonishing conjecture surfaced in their minds.

...

...

Meanwhile, at a tavern in the Capital on its third floor.

Princess Yunyang and Marquis Xiajiang were also enjoying the sunset at the edge of the sky.

The two were dining, and the entire third floor had been reserved, with no outsiders allowed.

The evening breeze was light and cool, dissipating the sweltering heat of summer and bringing with it a hint of freshness.

"Such a beautiful view calls for emptying the wine cup."

The Marquis, with an elegant bearing and meticulously groomed beard, dressed in silk garments, held a jade wine cup in his hand, laughing heartily as he looked across at the woman.

At the opposite end of the round table, filled with sumptuous delicacies and fine wine,

In a carved circular chair,

Lay a strikingly beautiful woman in a leisurely pose.

Although Princess Yunyang was the "aunt" of the Empress, she was born late and was known as the "sister" of the late Old Emperor, with a significant difference in age.

Moreover, having been pampered from birth and living in luxury, her appearance was extremely well-preserved.

Even with a son who was already so grown, her face still appeared youthful without a trace of wrinkles.

She was particularly fond of a red gauze dress, which highlighted her fair skin, and her long legs like white pythons seemed capable of squeezing a man to death.

At that moment, with her legs crossed, one beautiful foot was exposed to the air, with only the tip of her embroidered shoe delicately touching the ground, flickering back and forth.

"The Marquis can drink as he pleases, what has that to do with me? Could it be that you truly intend to get me drunk?"

Beneath her high-bun hairstyle, her fox-like face was adorned with a lazy, shallow smile.

Marquis Xiajiang, entranced by the swaying embroidered shoe, reached out to grab it:

"The Princess is a heroic figure among drinkers, and who knows if it’s the wine that intoxicates or if people intoxicate themselves..."

Princess Yunyang skillfully shifted her body to avoid his grasp, laughing foolishly:

"The Marquis seems to be the intoxicated one, it’s getting dark, and I must return to my residence shortly."

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Having failed in his sneak attack, the Marquis spoke helplessly:

"Please grace me with your presence tonight, Princess. Rest assured, I will definitely give Mr. Zhao a harsh lesson, to vent this anger for you."

Princess Yunyang pretended to be annoyed:

"You keep saying you’ll teach him a lesson, but I’ve seen no such action. Stopping his carriage this morning can hardly count. You’re not as good as Master Hee."

"Hmph," Marquis Xiajiang scoffed disdainfully:

"Master Hee is nothing but a servile cur, merely a dog under the Minister of the Ministry of Justice."

As he spoke, he laughed:

"Don’t be impatient, Princess. I have already arranged for people to take care of it, and I’ll make sure Zhao Douan receives a lesson he’ll never forget."

"Oh? Don’t keep me in suspense, do tell," Princess Yunyang said curiously.

Marquis Xiajiang was actually somewhat drunk and, as there was no one around, boasted in front of the beautiful woman:

"I have secretly dispatched men to grab onto Chief Feng Ju of the Ministry of Personnel by his weakness and threatened him.

Haha, that man was once fooled by Zhao Douan into falsely accusing Li Yanfu, and now, if he is willing to retract his testimony and turn the case upside down... That Zhao fellow will not escape involvement either."

Princess Yunyang was slightly taken aback:

"You intend to use this matter as leverage? In that case, what Zhao Douan faces is probably more than just a lesson. Even with my niece shielding him, he’ll have to give the courtiers an explanation."

Marquis Xiajiang heard that her tone lacked much joy and suddenly felt displeased:

"Is the Princess not delighted? Could it be you think my methods too harsh?"

He suddenly snorted coldly and slammed the jade cup down on the table, saying:

"Could it be that seeing that pretty boy has stirred ’compassionate’ feelings in you?"

Knowing Princess Yunyang as he did, he couldn’t help but speculate.

After all, the esteemed Princess was notorious for her indifference towards her husband and son.

Retaliating against Zhao Douan might have more to do with saving face.

Princess Yunyang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed, her branches trembling, her eyes showing some helplessness as she said,

"Marquis Xiajiang, you’re a grown man, why are you still jealous of a young upstart? I’m just concerned about my niece. If you go too far and truly anger her, things won’t end well."

Marquis Xiajiang didn’t seem to care much,

"It’s just me going with the flow. Once it’s done, others will naturally take action."

Princess Yunyang’s eyes flickered, vaguely catching the underlying message,

"You’re saying..."

Suddenly, footsteps from the stairs interrupted their conversation.

The young servant guarding downstairs reported,

"Marquis, there’s been an incident."

Marquis Xiajiang frowned and glanced at the Princess.

After hesitating, he still got up and walked aside to hear the servant’s low report,

"People from the Red Flower Society have sent a message, saying that the entire court in the city was raided by the Imperial Court, Feng Lianlian was rescued, and ’Lord Meng’ was also captured."

Such a thing had happened... Marquis Xiajiang’s drunkenness instantly sobered up by half.

After asking carefully a few times, his expression turned ugly.

"When did this happen?" Princess Yunyang curiously asked.

Marquis Xiajiang waved the servant away and came back with a stern face,

"There’s been a small accident; that Feng Ju might have sought help from the Zhaos."

He thought for a moment and guessed the general situation.

Only this could explain the Imperial Court’s actions.

It was beyond his expectations.

Before acting, he had carefully investigated Zhao Douan’s character and his relationship with Feng Ju.

In his view, there was no basis for trust between the two, and even if Feng Ju dared to seek help, the Red Flower Society’s methods would not allow the government to track them down in such a short time.

He could simply silence Feng Lianlian upon receiving the news and dispose of the body.

"How did the Zhous do it? Even if he guessed I was using people from the Red Flower Society, how could he command the entire Imperial Court?"

Marquis Xiajiang picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.

His heart, after the initial shock, was not too panicked.

With his caution, abducting a government official’s family member, he had already made a series of arrangements to escape guilt.

Even if "Lord Meng" couldn’t withstand torture, at most it would only cause him a bit of trouble.

Not lethal.

The key was, given Zhao Douan’s minor authority as Master, he couldn’t do anything to him.

At most, he could blame the Red Flower Society.

Could it be that the Zhaos really dared to defy the law, and not follow procedures, to come and capture him?

That would instead be like, handing him the handle.

"So, your method failed?"

Princess Yunyang asked in a tone neither happy nor sad, seeming merely curious.

Marquis Xiajiang indifferently said,

"It’s just a minor setback, let’s continue drinking. Princess, rest assured, that Zhao Douan won’t escape..."

Thump, thump...

Once more, hurried footsteps on the stairs interrupted them.

Marquis Xiajiang’s face showed annoyance as he glanced coldly at the stairway entrance,

"What now?"

The servant’s face was pale, he opened his mouth and signaled for a "private talk."

But Marquis Xiajiang angrily threw down his wine cup and said,

"Speak directly!"

The servant had no choice but to say,

"Marquis, it’s bad news. The spies we sent to keep watch have reported back, Zhao Douan is leading a team of government officers and is heading straight this way, it seems he is coming for you!"

"Crack!"

The wine cup rolled on the table, breaking on the floor, the remaining wine splashed.

Marquis Xiajiang abruptly stood, staring in disbelief at the other, as if digesting the news.

Across from him.

The swinging embroidered shoes beneath the red skirt stopped.

Beneath the thick black hair, Princess Yunyang’s noble face also showed astonishment.

...

Errors will be corrected later.