The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 178 - 157. Candied Haw on a Stick and Raiding a House

"Mm," Xu Zhenguan first nodded his head, then his gaze fell upon the court ladies, who were covered with a hint of morning dew, his expression softened:

"You’ve all worked hard, go and rest."

"Yes," all the attendants sighed with relief, dispersing to rejuvenate their spirits.

Zhao Douan followed by the Empress’s side, his gaze drifting thoughtfully between Mo Zhaorong and Xu Zhenguan.

...

"Whoosh!"

Inside the Empress’s bedroom, within a room situated in a corner, Zhao Douan stood up from the bath filled with floating petals.

The water flowed down his masculine contours, cascading downward.

Strangely enough, though he didn’t practice his exercises diligently, his physique was getting better.

"Could the training I do in meditation actually reflect in reality?" Zhao Douan wondered without reason.

He swept his hand back over his forehead, his soaked black hair plastering to his scalp like oiled strands.

Stepping out of the bathtub, waiting for Little Zhao to bow his head and dry his body in turn.

Twisting his head to look at the bathtub, he suddenly inhaled sharply, then slowly sent a palm towards it.

Inside him, the originally white, turbulent flow of energy suddenly turned a light blue.

The palm wind he blew over the tub slowly covered the water with a thin layer of ice.

"A human refrigerator..." Zhao Douan marveled with admiration.

The "Swallowing Cloud Breathing Skill" passed down by the Grand Ancestor Emperor wasn’t just a simple AOE skill of blowing out a breath, but it could turn the originally "attribute-less" energy into a frost-covered attack.

"This summer won’t be hot anymore, isn’t this more refreshing than putting blocks of ice in the room?"

After sighing with amazement, Zhao Douan pushed the door and walked out.

He had wanted to see the Empress again, but learned that she wasn’t in the bedroom.

Zhao Douan, feeling helpless, could only leave the Imperial Palace first:

"How strange, where could Your Majesty have gone?"

...

The Imperial Arsenal.

"This old servant greets Your Majesty."

Within the quiet and deep courtyard, Mr. Hai, donned in a python robe and slightly hunched, bowed to greet the fairy-like Empress arriving as if floating on air.

He expressed his surprise, "It’s not the scheduled day for practice, why has Your Majesty suddenly come here?"

Xu Zhenguan, in flowing white robes, said indifferently,

"Last night... I had a bit of an epiphany, so I came to look once more at the stone wall inscriptions of the Grand Ancestor Emperor."

Eunuch Hai couldn’t hide his astonishment.

One must know that at the Empress’s level, having epiphanies was extremely difficult, so how did it suddenly happen?

The old servant guided the Empress deeper into the arsenal, towards the worn building that displayed the mural of the Grand Ancestor Emperor, all the while curiously probing.

In the past, Eunuch Hai had often discussed cultivation insights with the Empress.

After all, he was an immortal who had lived for two hundred years, and though his talent and realm might not match the Empress’s, his experience was far richer.

Xu Zhenguan also respected him accordingly, and when it came to cultivation, she did not hide anything:

"Last night, at the Primordial Ancestor Temple, after helping Zhao Douan digest the medicinal power, it was late into the night so I simply sat in meditation, and for some reason, my visualizations were incredibly clear, and the image of my ancestor appeared much more vivid in my dreams."

"Could it really be true?" Eunuch Hai at first was surprised, then thought for a moment and said,

"If it’s not a coincidence, then the difference must lie in either the Primordial Ancestor Temple or Zhao Douan."

Xu Zhenguan frowned slightly and said,

"I have meditated in the Primordial Ancestor Temple before without anything special happening. In that case, could it be related to the Little Forbidden Army?"

She found it unbelievable.

A mere mortal, and Zhao Douan’s body inside and out had been carefully examined by her. Apart from that restless thing, she had found nothing unusual.

However, Eunuch Hai suddenly said,

"I remember a passage about cultivation recorded in the daily life records of the Grand Ancestor Emperor.

The Grand Ancestor Emperor had discussed Buddhist Law with the founding figures of Western Regions Buddhism, mentioning the ’Joyful Zen’ that was taboo even in the Western Regions.

It was said that the so-called ’Great Joy of the Yin-Yang Harmony of Heaven and Earth’ is regarded with disdain by people, but it is not entirely without merit.

Heaven and earth are Yin and Yang, and if a Cultivator wishes to reach the ultimate realm of perfection, the complementing of Yin and Yang is also a clear path.

However, out of the myriad of people in the world, finding a match for each other on the path of cultivation is extremely rare."

Xu Zhenguan listened with a stunned expression and took a while to understand the subtle implication the old eunuch was trying to convey.

A blush of embarrassment and annoyance appeared on her fair cheeks, and she said displeased,

"Mr. Hai thinks too much; would I be suitable for him... Furthermore, that so-called harmonizing method is not the right path, and few powerful figures from ancient to modern times have relied on these."

Eunuch Hai smiled and performed a respectful gesture,

"Perhaps it is indeed the old servant who has pondered too much."

But in his heart he thought,

The powerful figures of the past indeed didn’t rely on the heretical path of Dual Cultivation to climb to the pinnacle.

But they all had the opposite sex by their side, they must have harmonized after all.

The Empress, clearly, was severely out of balance... but such matters are best left hinted at.

Xu Zhenguan changed the subject and said,

"According to my observation, it could be caused by the intermittent appearance of the Dragon Essence."

Dragon Essence...

Upon this topic, the normally irreverent Eunuch Hai, who liked to joke around, suddenly became serious and said,

"Is Your Majesty still not giving up on the Dragon Essence?

In the past, the Grand Ancestor Emperor traveled the land on foot, creating the Martial God Road, and throughout the journey, he cultivated the ’Xuanhuang True Qi’, unrivaled in dominance.

Strangely, despite numerous talented warriors in later generations who followed the same path as the Grand Ancestor, none were able to comprehend the ’Xuanhuang Qi’.

We can only attribute it to the Grand Ancestor Emperor’s stunning talent.

Afterward, once he became Emperor, bearing the national dragon vein, that Xuanhuang Qi transformed into Dragon Qi, known as ’Dragon Essence’, a unique treasure in the world.

Unfortunately, when one dies, the essence goes with them, and after the Grand Ancestor Emperor passed away, the Dragon Essence disappeared without a trace...

However, every emperor throughout the generations couldn’t let it go and often sensed the dispersal of Dragon Qi in the palace, especially strong in the Primordial Ancestor Temple. They speculated that the Dragon Essence hadn’t completely vanished but was hidden deep within the palace...

Yet regardless of the past emperors or Your Majesty, despite numerous investigations, there were no discoveries, and that Dragon Qi is probably just the lingering echo of the dragon vein..."

Xu Zhenguan remained silent, how could she not be aware of these things?

It was just that she always harbored a slim hope.

After the Grand Ancestor Emperor died, although Great Yu’s reign lasted for six hundred years, no emperor could ever match the heights reached by the Grand Ancestor.

She, relying on the fortune of being an emperor, had barely entered the "Fake Heavenly Realm", yet felt a pressing urgency in her heart.

If she could find that "Dragon Essence" and absorb it into her body, her cultivation level would surely step into a new realm.

Even if she couldn’t catch up to the Grand Ancestor Emperor, it would still be enough to look down upon the world.

There’s no need to constantly be on guard against the other "three Celestials."

And let alone the hidden powerhouses beyond Great Yu’s borders, who "do not appear in the world."

"Enough," Xu Zhenguan sighed and said,

"Lately, I’ve been busy with government affairs, and my cultivation time has indeed been reduced quite a bit. In a few days, when the Xiuwen Pavilion opens and many scholars share some of the burdens, I will be able to find some time."

Mr. Hai asked, "Your Majesty plans to retreat for a while?"

"Indeed, but I must wait until I’ve dealt with the recent turmoil in the court."

Xu Zhenguan narrowed her phoenix eyes,

"Having successively dealt with Pei Kaizhi and Zhou Cheng... the implementation of the new policies will go much smoother.

However... alas, the empire my father left behind truly leaks on all sides.

I’ve been in the deep palace for a long time and am not good at resting and recuperation, dealing with the affairs of the people, commerce, and trade. If in this Xiuwen Pavilion, there appears an ’Imperial Seamstress’ to mend the empire, that would be a blessing for the people of Great Yu."

The citizens of the Capital only know that the court has been in constant upheaval for the past half a year, with officials falling one after another.

But they don’t know that behind all this is an elaborate "grand game" by the Empress.

In the following two days, the fallout from Zhou Cheng’s fall continued to spread.

Zhao Douan was lying low at home, not getting involved, and instead actively allowing the Imperial Court, Ministry of Justice and Imperial Court of Supervision the remaining chance to earn merit.

He’s had his share of the meat and realizes he should leave enough soup for others; this has always been his method.

And as expected,

after the retrial of the Xue Lin case, many officials involved in the original case got implicated. The Empress, fuming with anger, executed several of them in succession.

Meanwhile, those who had been wronged long ago had their names cleared.

Compensation was given to the descendants of those involved.

Some demoted officials were also put back into use, and naturally, these people became loyal "Imperial Faction" supporters.

It’s worth mentioning that:

Lu Zhi was officially promoted to the position of Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Justice, while the seat of Zhou Cheng is still vacant.

Zhao Douan’s recommendation of him came with little self-interest this time.

He himself didn’t consider himself a good person in this life, but thought it good if he could promote a competent official to reduce wrongful cases in the world.

In the blink of an eye, it was the Qiqiao Festival.

On this day, the festive atmosphere among the people diluted the stench of blood from the court.

Zhao Douan put on his usual clothes and took to the streets on a ride with his stepmother and sister.

The weather was clear, and men and women crowded the streets in pairs, creating a lively scene.

You Jinhua and Zhao Pan sat in the carriage, looking excitedly outside, chattering away.

"Hey, big brother, how come there are still people selling candied haws at this time of year?"

You Jinhua looked outside curiously from the carriage.

Due to the oppressive heat, the beautiful stepmother had worn a low-cut dress.

She was still drenched in sweat, her chest slick and shiny, fanning herself continuously with a small fan.

Zhao Douan could have used his qi to send cool air into the carriage,

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but he was mischievous and only covered his pores with cold qi, caring only for himself and not for others.

Zhao Pan, sensing a hint of coolness around him, subtly leaned his way.

But since the relationship between the siblings had just begun to thaw, they were still too shy to make it obvious.

Upon hearing this, he said,

"Mother, I heard that there has been a large amount of cheap ice for sale in the Capital lately, far below market price. Some vendors use the ice to keep the candied haws, covering the outside with cotton, so they don’t melt. They’re selling it at a higher price, taking advantage of the festival to make a big profit."

You Jinhua said,

"Could it also be ice made with saltpeter? Your mom has always thought that if you could get that formula, others certainly know it too."

The stepmother still thought that Zhao Douan had heard of the saltpeter recipe from somewhere else.

Hence, she did not suspect the cheap ice blocks that appeared all over the market, assuming they were just being sold by merchants.

Zhao Douan laughed, knowing that the sales channels of the Heavenly Master Mansion had opened.

However, it had only been half a month, and not much had been sold yet, so the money probably hadn’t come in.

He wasn’t in a hurry; when the heat of summer was nearly over, that would be the time to ask Jin Jian for a dividend.

"Stop the carriage."

Zhao Douan shouted and went down to the street, bought three strings of bright red candied haws and brought them back.

He, his stepmother, and his sister, one for each.

You Jinhua was concerned about the cost, but her stepson just said,

"Today is Qiqiao Festival; consider it a gift for you ladies."

The two beauties, one older and one younger, happily accepted.

This made Zhao Douan couldn’t help but reflect that the women in his family were too easy to please; if it had been in his previous life, he would have had to hand out hefty red packets.

"Brother! You’re here too, my dear big brother!"

Suddenly, a small figure wrapped in satin cloth and bandages, with a bruised face, darted out from a distance.

Qin Qiu came rolling over obsequiously. Upon seeing the two women, he sweetly called out "Dear mother" and "sister," frightening them with his swollen face.

Zhao Douan kicked him away and said indifferently,

"Don’t go scaring people around. You’ve just been released from prison a few days ago, why not properly heal instead of wandering the streets?"

He didn’t dwell on Qin Qiu’s "betrayal" during the Zhou Cheng case.

Firstly, on that day in court, Qin Qiu had attempted to speak on his behalf. The side he chose wasn’t wrong.

Additionally, at the root of it, Qin Qiu had suffered a lot and ended up looking like this partly because of Zhao Douan’s own involvement.

After all, he was just a lackey; Zhao Douan was magnanimous and didn’t plan to promote him but also had no desire to target him.

Qin Qiu grinned and said,

"Today is the day they confiscate Zhou Cheng’s property, right next to here. Aren’t you here to watch the home being raided?"

Zhao Douan froze for a moment; he hadn’t paid attention to the subsequent mess, and he frowned,

"Zhou Mansion isn’t here, right?"

Qin Qiu said,

"This is one of Zhou the villain’s private residences. Eh, you don’t know, that Zhou has loads of private houses with countless hidden assets."

With the mindset of watching the drama unfold, Zhao Douan sent his house servants to accompany the female family members to nearby shops.

Then he went with Qin Qiu, carrying a string of candied haws, and rounded the street.

He saw a grand estate completely surrounded by government officers from the Imperial Court’s Peony Hall.

A series of carriages was busy moving Zhou family’s ill-gotten wealth out.

Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow as he noticed two figures not far away.

These two chapters write a bit of daily life to ease the pace. The layout will be updated and modified later.