The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 91 - 88, Zhao Douan: Those who step out this door shall die!

Zhou Cang saw that Zhao Douan was sitting upright, so he could only walk over and stand beside him.

Soon after, there was a disorderly sound of footsteps approaching, and several individuals came sparsely from outside the inner hall.

The leader was the female government officer who had just gone to summon others, who bowed with her fists clasped and said in a punctilious manner,

"Reporting back to Master Zhao, Households Commander Zhou, the personnel of Lihua Hall have all taken their positions."

It’s worth mentioning that within the Imperial Court, ranks are strictly defined. The lord oversees great authority, governing nine officials and Masters.

Below the Masters are approximately ten "officials," who are treated with the same regard as Colonel ranks among the Great Yu military officers, and are thus commonly referred to as Jinyi Captains.

Hmm, holding the same rank as the Zhang family’s second son, who was ousted.

Further down, each official has several accompanying government officers, also adorned in Jinyi, and are considered part of the lower bureaucracy.

Including those responsible for daily clerical work, the paperwork officials, the total number of people in the Imperial Court ranges from a thousand to three thousand.

Zhao Douan lifted his eyelids, his gaze sweeping over the newcomers in the hall.

Following close behind Qian Kerou was a young man with a robust build, thick brows and large eyes, bronze-colored skin, and an expressionless face.

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Between his brows was an air of stubbornness and impatience, and his hands, calloused, hung beside the scabbard, apparently a martial artist who rigorously practiced his sword skills.

In appearance and temperament, strikingly similar to Li Yuanfang from "Detective Di Renjie."

Zhou Cang whispered softly,

"This man’s surname is Hou, named Renmeng. He originally served in the top-ranked Peony Hall, with strong working capabilities, but he is insubordinate and has had several violent conflicts with colleagues, hence he was ostracized and transferred here."

Hou Renmeng... If only his surname were Park, he would be perfect... In his heart, Zhao Douan gave him the label "monkey."

Trailing the young man was a leisurely old government officer, probably around fifty or sixty years old.

Not very tall, with thinning hair, he was holding a big ceramic tea cup in his hands and tucking a residence report under his arm.

After entering the room, he first smiled at Zhao Douan, then sat down in a chair with familiarity.

"..."

Zhao Douan looked at Zhou Cang, as if to ask, "Are you sure someone of this age hasn’t retired yet?"

Zhou Cang’s face showed embarrassment, and he whispered,

"This is an old-timer in the government office, surnamed Zheng, with only one year left until his retirement, very deep in seniority. He’s one of the few who actively requested to come to Lihua Hall."

Heh, just say he’s here to coast to retirement... Zhao Douan remained expressionless.

Following the old servant, finally, came a young Jinyi who seemed a few years older than Qian Kerou. His prominent dark circles and his lackadaisical demeanor were striking.

His walking pace was loose and slack, a stark contrast to the "brash" Hou Renmeng.

Zhou Cang explained,

"This man is named Shen Juan. His family has some background and wealth, so he lives a carefree life and is known for being lazy and unproductive."

Got it, an apathetic second-generation... Zhao Douan sighed to himself, thinking they really were all talented in their own right.

His gaze moved again, and a young man arrived late outside the hall.

Unlike the others, he wasn’t in uniform but wore a satin robe, with decent features and delicate skin.

But the droop of his eyelids and the curl of his mouth gave off the air of a haughty young master.

In his hands, he even carried a birdcage, containing a precious shrike.

"Li Lang?" guessed Zhao Douan of his identity.

Zhou Cang nodded in confirmation, saying,

"Lihua Hall is still not fully staffed; currently, there are only these five officials."

Alright, Zhao Douan sighed, getting a preliminary impression of the five:

The spoiled prodigy, Li Lang, scion of the princess.

The greenhorn female Jinyi, Qian Kerou.

Retiring Zheng, whiling away his twilight years.

The stubborn and defiant Hou Renmeng.

The indolent Shen Juan, skating through his days.

This lineup couldn’t be described as brimming with talent but rather an initiation into chaos, Yuann Li, the old fox… Zhao Douan silently bore a grudge.

...

As the five individuals took their seats, Zhou Cang coughed to announce,

"The relevant proclamation was issued by the lord yesterday, there’s no need for further ado. Beside me is the individual personally appointed by Your Majesty to temporarily assume the position of Master of Lihua Hall, also the one who has recently made significant achievements—White Horse Hall’s Lord Zhao."

The one pampered by the Empress? The playboy impeached by the entire civil and military court, yet came out unscathed and even overthrew the Zhang brothers?

Recently replaced Mr. Yuan in handling matters, suspected of having bitten Pei Kaizhi in political struggle, that despicable, arrogant, extravagant, and hedonistic pretty boy?

The attendees had varying expressions but all recognized the name "Zhao Douan" as if it were thunderous.

Having been shocked by the announcement the day before, seeing him in person today only affirmed that the Empress’s taste was indeed fine.

But to have such a notorious scoundrel parachuted in as their direct superior?

Even the rookie Qian Kerou was somewhat unconvinced.

Presumably, she thought, he must be like Li Lang, here to hang around for a cushy job and pad his resume? The female government officer pondered silently.

The others shared similar thoughts, showing no respect for their new superior.

Seeing the awkward silence, Zhou Cang was about to say something before Zhao Douan waved him off:

"Alright, Households Commander Zhou, go on with your business. I will discuss the subsequent matters with them."

"This… Alright then, if sir has any matters, you can find me at Governor Hall." Zhou Cang directly reported to Ma Yan, not belonging to the Nine Halls.

…

As Zhou Cang left, only our own men remained in the Lihua Hall.

The Jinyi Captains, who had been sitting erect with forced propriety, instantly relaxed their postures.

Li Lang, a scion of the Royal Family, stood up first, picking up his birdcage with a sneer at the corner of his mouth. With droopy eyelids, he announced,

"Let’s go. Back to card playing. Heh, such a fuss over nothing."

Shen Juan, notorious for his lackadaisical attitude, yawned deeply, feeling a bit heavy in the seat. He glanced at the female government officer and said with a grin,

"Ke Rou, you take my place. I’m really sleepy, so I’m going to take a nap."

The newcomer Qian Kerou gasped in surprise, sitting straight and frantically waving her hands, with her eyes darting towards Zhao Douan, clearly signaling,

Master Zhao is still here, this isn’t proper!!

Beside them, the irascible Hou Renmeng sat with his arms folded, a look of disdain on his face.

He never had much respect for opportunists like Zhao Douan and was set to leave as well.

Only Old Zheng remained unhurried, sipping his steaming tea and squinting, as if waiting to see how the new superior would handle the situation.

Yet Zhao Douan remained calm, sitting in the main seat with no sign of surprise at the actions of his subordinates.

Instead of getting angry, he simply said in a level voice,

"Sit down."

Hou Renmeng, who was about to stand, paused. Seemingly curious about the mettle of the new superior, he remained in his seat.

His defiant gaze was unflinching, as if utterly unafraid of the power of the Empress’s favorite.

There are always those in the world who fear nothing, and he just happened to be one of them.

Thus, the only one continuing on his way out was Li Lang, the unruly young man clad in silk.

Li Lang seemed as if he hadn’t heard a thing, continuing towards the exit without a pause.

"I said, sit down."

Zhao Douan’s hands were folded over his abdomen, and his voice was still calm but carried a heavier tone.

Finally, Li Lang stopped, turning around nonchalantly with a hint of mockery on his face as he said,

"Zhao Douan, we’re all here just to coast through, to add a gold layer to our lives. There’s no need to be so pompous and put on airs, right?

I’ve heard about you, supposedly you’ve got something going on with my sister? Heh, you do have the looks, no wonder you can be a toy boy… but make sure you understand your place.

I’ve heard, relying on your favor, you’ve been acting unbridled in the capital, even mingling in that circle with Qin Qiu. I don’t mingle in those circles, but I am aware of what sort of people you few are…"

The "sister" he referred to was, of course, the current Empress, Xu Zhenguan.

He was also emphasizing his maternal identity as the son of Princess Yunyang.

The faces of the few people in the hall were awkward, not expecting Li Lang to refuse to give the new Master any face, not even pretending to comply.

But who could blame him, being a relative of the Royal Family?

Although a princess married off is like water splashed out, he was surnamed as his father-in-law, unable to enter the Royal genealogy of the Xu Imperial Dynasty in the future.

But… at the end of the day, he was still family.

As descendants of the Royal House, there’s a difference in class compared to external officials, others might fear Zhao Douan, but not Li Lang:

"So, don’t think that by becoming the favorite at Your Majesty’s side and acquiring a cushy job that you are truly something special.

If you know the times, be an invisible presence at Lihua Hall, and let things continue as usual, I can’t be bothered to oppose you. If you’re smart, I might even take you out for some fun, get to know the real children of power. Did you get that?"

Having said that, the young master in his splendid silk garments turned again, resuming his swaggering gait toward the exit.

While playing with the bird in the cage, with an implicit message,

"Card playing, card playing, all come out with me. Heh, birds listen better than humans; they know when they shouldn’t squawk."

Swish—The four people in the hall instantly looked towards Zhao Douan.

The sun was blazing high in the sky, yet for some reason, the atmosphere had suddenly become tense as drawn swords.

Within the almost frozen atmosphere, Zhao Douan narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling ever so slightly, like a beast that has spotted its prey.

In the next moment, within Lihua Hall, a thin line of golden light flashed and vanished.

Before anyone could come to their senses, there was a "snap" like a crack of thunder!

Inside the hall, two huge life-sized floor vases were torn apart by a powerful force, instantly shattering into pieces and sending shards and droplets flying.

At the doorway, the expensive birdcage in Li Lang’s hand was cleanly severed by an incredibly sharp blade, its cut as smooth as a mirror.

Only a mess of feathered flesh remained in the cage.

His right foot was suspended over the threshold.

Just one step away from leaving, yet forcefully halted mid-air, unable to advance even an inch!

The others stood up in shock, only to see that at the brow of the arrogant young master was a palm-sized golden Flying Knife that appeared out of nowhere.

The Flying Knife buzzed and trembled as though alive, eager for blood, with the blade already piercing slightly into his forehead, a single drop of deep red blood slowly trickling down.

Silence.

In this hush,

One heard the new Master Zhao, who had been sitting in the chief seat from the start without changing his posture in the slightest, say indifferently,

"He who steps out this door, dies."

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ps: The author has opened a public WeChat account. Search for [Shiwan Cai Tuan] to find it. Readers, my lords, can follow it. In the future, I’ll write some things there that Cannot be published on Qidian…