The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 528 - 401, Empress Competing for Favor

"Don't want to see me... Don't want to see me?"

Zhao Douan's smile gradually stiffened on his face, and a string of question marks slowly floated above his head.

Wasn't it... what do you mean, didn't you ask me to come to the Palace to see you, and now you don't want to see me?

Zhao Douan, maintaining a cautious attitude, tentatively asked,

"Is Your Majesty receiving guests, or did you see someone after returning to the Palace?"

The palace maid serving in the sleeping quarters shook her head and said softly,

"Neither, Her Majesty just doesn't want to see."

Having said that, the palace maid, with spirited eyes, looked around and carefully reminded, "It seems like Her Majesty is angry with you, sir."

Is Zhenbao angry?

Zhao Douan felt a headache coming on, but although he lacked romantic experience in his past life, his emotional quotient still told him that under the Empress's feigned indifference, he absolutely must not just leave.

Pretend anger

— Clearly and unmistakably tells you she's angry, then hopes you would coax her.

Real anger

— He wouldn't even dream of entering the Imperial Palace; the imperial guards would have blocked him right at the gate.

At this time, it was time to take initiative... As Zhao Douan pondered his next move, he happened to catch sight of a eunuch from the imperial kitchen hurrying over with a tray in small, quick steps.

Atop it was the daily lotus seed soup that had to be offered on time to replenish energy and blood. freewebnσvel.cѳm

"Eunuch, please wait!"

Zhao Douan stepped forward and, without allowing discussion, took the soup from the confused eunuch in front of him, and then made big strides into the sleeping quarters amidst the maids' intentionally lax efforts and feigned obstructions.

The Empress's sleeping quarters was an entire courtyard watched over by palace maids; guided by directions, Zhao Douan quickly reached the door of a familiar room—

—the same room he had stayed in the night he killed the Gu Huo National Master.

That is: the Empress's boudoir.

"Knock, knock," he tapped gently, waiting until he heard a cold "Come in."

Only then did Zhao Douan, blessed by the tacit agreement of several palace maids and eunuchs pretending to be blind to his presence, creak the door open.

...

Entering the winter, the curtain drooped low at the door, and as Zhao Douan stepped over the threshold carrying the tray, a warm current hit him full in the face.

In sight was the same opulent "warming room" he had slept in last time, the floor covered with thick wool carpets, opposite the arhat bed next to the antique rack, was a beast-shaped incense burner.

He noticed no braziers, for the room had pipes connecting to the bottom where someone constantly burned charcoal, endlessly directing heat from underneath, like an ancient version of underfloor heating.

Xu Zhenguan had her back to the door, holding a pair of dark scissors, focusing on trimming the vines of an unknown type of plant growing from a blue-and-white porcelain floor vase.

From this angle, as she slightly bent over, her rounded hips arched up, waist narrowed and hips widened, even through regular clothes one could vaguely see a clear upward line along her back.

Her long black hair was pinned up, falling in a slight cast to either side, her white slender wrists rotating as redundant verdant vines crisply fell away.

Zhao Douan gaped, seeing for the first time the Empress in such a "domestic" scene.

Before, even when the two of them dined or drank wine alone, it was always tinged with a flavor of hierarchy and officialdom.

The Empress always ate hastily, as if rushing, not giving off the air of handling state affairs, but as if walking on the path of governance itself.

Personally trimming flower branches... This recreational activity, so common among noblewomen of the Capital, was particularly rare when associated with the Empress.

"Your Majesty... the soup has arrived." Zhao Douan swallowed, regaining his composure and said softly.

"Snip—"

The scissors amidst green vines abruptly stopped; Xu Zhenguan straightened up, turned her head, and looked at him expressionlessly, "Who allowed you to come in?"

Pretend, just keep pretending... If not for you intentionally letting me slip by, Your Majesty, would those servants in the chambers dare let me sneak in...

Woman, thy name is "hypocrisy"!

Zhao Douan internally ranted crazily, but his face showed a humble demeanor:

"On my way, I happened to encounter the kitchen staff delivering the soup. In such cold weather, I was worried it would cool down due to their tardiness, so I took the liberty..."

Xu Zhenguan's face remained stern, grasping the dark, sharp scissors, she pointed towards the door, "Get out."

Zhao Douan's face fell, as he turned, tray in hand, to walk away.

After two steps, sure enough, he heard an annoyed voice from behind, "Where do you think you're going?"

Pretending to be puzzled, Zhao Douan turned around, "Didn't Your Majesty ask me to leave?"

"I asked you to leave, but I didn't ask you to take the soup with you..."

Xu Zhenguan said, suddenly seeming wearied, she walked over and sat down by the arhat bed in the warming room, helplessly saying,

"Well, bring it here."

Zhao Douan grinned slyly, walked to the sandalwood tea table in front of the arhat bed, placed the tray down, skillfully cleaned a cup, lifted the pot lid, filled a bowl with white, steaming pork soup, and handed it over.

The Empress watched him silently, not speaking, just watching.

Zhao Douan blinked and tentatively spooned a bit of soup, then gently blew away the steam and handed it over,

"Your Majesty?"

Only then did the Empress's stern face finally soften a bit, but instead of drinking, she asked in a low voice,

"Do you know your crime?"

Zhao Douan feigned ignorance.

The Empress spoke with a trace of annoyance:

"You went to debate scripture today, why didn't you report to me in advance? Have I been too indulgent with you, too lenient, causing you to become arrogant with favor? Such an important matter, acting without notification."

It's as if it's my first time doing this… You weren't angry before, suddenly getting angry this time feels rather fake… Zhao Douan put down the porcelain bowl, overwhelmed with shame:

"This servant knows his wrongdoing! However, this servant's actions were not out of arrogance, but rather because Your Majesty banned Buddhism due to this servant. Recently, at home, I have often heard believers in the Capital slander Your Majesty. I am extremely ashamed. I was not fully confident about suppressing those bald monks in the debate…

I was worried that if I had informed Your Majesty in advance, you would have been implicated if things went wrong. If, by chance, it were successful, it would prevent Your Majesty from being slandered by the ignorant, and I would be overjoyed.

Should it be unfortunate and result in a loss, and the bald monks seek accountability, it would not involve Your Majesty. Whatever the repercussions, I would bear them alone… If Your Majesty wishes to punish, I am prepared to accept it without complaints."

Heh… 'without complaints'… sounds nice, but what's all this you've said?

Xu Zhenguan sneered inwardly, listened to him silently, and then with a softened expression and a snort as if getting off a slope, said:

"It's good that you know."

She paused for a moment, then glared and demanded: "Now, isn't it time to serve the soup?"

One side full of lies, fabricating reasons;

The other side quickly forgave, giving a way out… this too is an unspoken understanding between monarch and minister.

Zhao Douan, as if granted amnesty, brought the soup to the Empress's lips.

She looked at him, lightly opened her vermilion lips, and slowly swallowed a spoonful.

Then, feeling the feeding posture overly intimate, the Empress still took the bowl into her own hands and began drinking.

After drinking a couple of sips and seeing Zhao Douan continuously watching her eat, Xu Zhenguan's cheeks inexplicably heated up.

Setting aside the soup, she casually asked him to sit and talk, then unexpectedly inquired:

"Tell me, what's going on between you and Prajna?"

Zhao Douan had just pulled a low stool over to the side of the coffee table and sat down, barely touching the stool when he nearly jumped up.

Startled, he said:

"Your Majesty, why would you say such a thing? I can hardly avoid dealing with that shameless old nun, let alone have any involvement with her."

Xu Zhenguan scoffed coldly: "No involvement?"

"No connections whatsoever!" Zhao Douan declared earnestly, then couldn't help but say:

"Your Majesty, could you put down the scissors while talking?"

"…" Xu Zhenguan tossed the scissors onto the coffee table, shifted her body back, and casually leaned on the cushion of the antique sofalike bed. She lightly said:

"Then how do you explain that the Buddhist Law you proposed today closely matches the principles that Prajna upholds?"

Isn't it… so you're suddenly inexplicably angry today because of this?

Zhao Douan recalled the last time, when the Empress had stayed overnight at his house, coincidentally when Bodhisattva Prajna visited.

Time had passed so long, he had nearly forgotten, yet the magnanimous Empress still remembered…

"Your Majesty, I have absolutely no connection with that old nun, and the debating scripture was out of a public spirit..."

Zhao Douan hurriedly revealed his thoughts and reasoning.

The reasoning was roughly similar to what Yuann Li had guessed, which was also the strategy Zhao Douan had pondered in his home over the past few days, maximizing his benefits.

It both allowed him to vent some spite and disgust the people of Divine Dragon Temple and the Western Regions, while also weakening the temple's authority and supporting Prajna to share the control of Xuan Yin from various aspects.

Although it also helped advance the Buddhist Law further, making it easier to spread—a significant downside—he felt after weighing the options that the benefits outweighed the harms.

Xu Zhenguan listened quietly without interruption, lounging on an ancient version of a sofa, unconsciously grasping an embroidered Phoenix pillow in her hand and tenderly embracing it in her arms, her beautiful eyes glistening as she watched Zhao Douan analytically discuss the situation.

She hardly took in what he was saying, instead finding his anxious efforts to distance himself from Prajna quite amusing.

The slight resentment in her heart dissipated, giving way to a whirl of more complex emotions.

Mysteriously upset…

This kind of thing shouldn't be happening to her.

Whether during the three years since her ascent to the throne or even before that, during the Third Imperial Princess period, from her youth onward, in the eyes of her father, her siblings, her ministers, and her uncles, she had always been seen as wise and calm, no less than any man.

From a rational standpoint, even if Zhao Douan's participation in today's scripture debate was indeed rash, the outcome was ultimately positive.

Therefore, from the perspective of managing a minister, she could have used a softer, more pleasant method to either praise or reprimand him.

Not with these petty, juvenile antics akin to those of common women…

Thinking of that, Xu Zhenguan felt annoyed, wondering what had she actually done? It would be ridiculous if word got out.

But… she had done it mysteriously, just like when she was very young and trying to capture her father's affection by refusing to eat, just like those concubines vying for the Emperor's favor in the harem.

Xu Zhenguan blankly stared at the lotus seed soup before her, her eyes clouded with an indescribable "distress."

Though she didn't want to admit it, she had just... perhaps... possibly… maybe…

sought favor… from this man?

Considering this possibility, she felt slightly dazed.

"Your Majesty?"

Until Zhao Douan's voice awakened her.

—

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