The First Lackey Under The Empress

Later? I met you in the painting...

Zhao Du'an muttered to himself, but his face remained expressionless:

“After the battle, I rested in the county office of that county, intending to meditate and breathe, but thinking about the process of summoning the Water God, I had some insights into the realm of the Celestial Human. Under Pei Niannu's suggestion, I tried to visualize 'The Human World' again, to see if I could enter it again.”

Last time, he pretended in the palace that he couldn't enter.

“Did you go in?” Xu Zhenguan's slender hand in her sleeve quietly clenched, her body leaning forward, her spirit highly focused.

Facing the Empress's “stare,” Zhao Du'an frowned and hesitated: “I don't know.”

“Don't know?”

“Yes, I felt like I entered, but it was only for a brief moment before I appeared in the small building behind the Martial Arts Hall.”

Zhao Du'an looked puzzled: “Then, I met Eunuch Hai and came to see you.”

After saying this, he nervously observed the subtle changes in the Empress's expression. The “suspicion” he had anticipated did not occur. Xu Zhenguan's beautiful eyebrows were tightly furrowed as she fell into deep thought.

Celestial Human, meteor, Zhao Du'an, Zhang Hui... A total of four influencing factors were mixed together, making it difficult for her to distinguish which factor was playing a key role behind this matter.

Eh... Zhenbao doesn't seem to associate me with Zhang Hui. Could it be that there are other factors interfering with her judgment?

Zhao Du'an breathed a sigh of relief and felt a strong curiosity. After a long silence in the room, he couldn't help but whisper:

“Your Majesty? What exactly is happening to me…”

Xu Zhenguan came back to her senses, looked up at him, pondered for a moment, and shook her head in confusion:

“This matter is somewhat complicated. Do you know what just happened?”

Zhao Du'an honestly said: “I saw the Director of the Imperial Observatory entering the palace.”

Xu Zhenguan nodded, suddenly reached out, took the roll of yellowed book from the table, placed it in front of him, and explained:

“This is a record of astronomical observations from the Imperial Observatory.”

Zhao Du'an's current body cannot affect reality, nor can he “turn the page,” but fortunately, the text and date on the book are complete.

He glanced down and was surprised:

“This records an astronomical observation from six hundred years ago?”

Xu Zhenguan nodded:

“Strictly speaking, this is a record of astronomical observations that survived from the destroyed Qi Dynasty. Back then, in the late Qi Dynasty, war was raging everywhere. Before the Qi capital was captured, a great fire burned many precious documents, but a small portion was salvaged. This is one of them.

According to the timeline, it was before the outbreak of the uprising in the late years of the dynasty. A special star passed over the then capital and was observed and recorded. In the Qi Dynasty's records, this star was named the 'Disaster Star,' indicating that disaster would befall.

And in the years that followed, the world was in chaos, and living beings were plunged into misery. Both the secular world and the cultivation world were swept up in it, making it arguably the greatest disaster in nearly fifteen hundred years.”

After a slight pause, Xu Zhenguan stared at him with a solemn expression:

“Just now, the same 'Disaster Star' has reappeared after six hundred years.”

Reappeared again? Some kind of Halley's Comet… Zhao Du'an was stunned. As a modern person who had received compulsory education, he was no stranger to the concept of periodic encounters of stars.

But considering that there are idealistic “gods” in this world… the setting of stars foreshadowing disaster doesn't seem difficult to accept.

“Could it be that this Disaster Star foreshadows this war with the Eight Kings?” Zhao Du'an asked.

Xu Zhenguan sighed, stood up, paced around the room, her eyes filled with melancholy:

“Compared to the scale of the disaster six hundred years ago, the current struggle between the imperial court and the Eight Kings is far inferior.”

Zhao Du'an suddenly realized:

The atmosphere in the study was somber for a moment.

Zhao Du'an thought for a moment and earnestly comforted her:

“Your Majesty should set your mind at ease. Even if this Disaster Star really foreshadows the future, so what? Are we afraid of chaos?”

The Empress was stunned, met his gaze, and then smiled in relief as if she had figured something out.

Zhao Du'an also smiled.

Yes, from the Xuanmen coup d'état, when the Empress ascended the throne, she began to face endless troubles. The Fengchan battle was even more dangerous… So many difficulties have been overcome. What is there to fear from more?

Moreover, it is ultimately just an unverified star. There is no point in being anxious about it now.

Even if there is a real disaster in the future, all that the monarch and her subject can do now is to quell the rebellion as soon as possible in order to deal with a greater enemy. Therefore, there is no need to be anxious. It is enough to do what needs to be done now.

Emperor Taizu of the Great Yu ended the disaster that swept the continent six hundred years ago, bringing six hundred years of peace to the world.

Xu Zhenguan wanted to emulate her ancestors. At worst, she would clean up the old mountains and rivers again.

Thinking of this, the haze in her heart suddenly dissipated, and she felt much lighter. She nodded and smiled slightly:

“You're right. It's just a star. There's really no need to worry about it. However, the Imperial Observatory's records show that Emperor Taizu himself was obsessed with astrology in his later years. He spent a lot of time in the Imperial Observatory observing the stars, trying to see the rise and fall of the future.

And this record about the Disaster Star was read by Taizu many times. Moreover, the Imperial Household's records of Taizu's daily life record that Emperor Taizu referred to the Imperial Observatory's astrological records when painting the mural 'The Human World.'”

Old Xu was obsessed with astronomy back then? Zhao Du'an was stunned for a moment and said:

“So Your Majesty suspects that my ability to appear in the capital from the mural is related to this Disaster Star?”

This logic is a bit convoluted…

Xu Zhenguan shook her head, her eyes shining with wisdom:

“No, I guess that the reason why you can manifest your consciousness and walk out of the mural has little to do with this Disaster Star. It should still be some kind of wonderful change that occurred after you experienced the Celestial Human Realm, combined with the Dragon Soul in your body. After all, you are already extremely connected to the Imperial Family's heritage.”

Zhao Du'an was taken aback and could not refute, so he changed the subject:

“Then why did Your Majesty mention the Disaster Star just now?”

Xu Zhenguan's eyes became brighter and brighter. She was somewhat excited, as if sharing a great secret:

“Because it involves another change. Just now, I also visualized myself entering 'The Human World,' and I finally found the clues to cultivation left by Emperor Taizu. It was a person in the painting who claimed to be named 'Zhang Hui'…

After I entered, it seems that there is an 'identity' in the world within the painting, and this person in the painting contacted me through the connection of this identity… Well, similar to 'The Great Dream Scroll'…”

She excitedly talked about her experience.

Women always have a strong desire to share, but as an emperor, she has too many secrets that she cannot tell others, so she can only keep them in her heart.

And Zhao Du'an is undoubtedly a good confidant.

Moreover, Zhao Du'an will enter 'The Human World' sooner or later. Xu Zhenguan believes that the experience she has explored can be shared with him, so that he can familiarize himself with the next chapter in advance…

The Empress didn't notice that Zhao Du'an's expression was becoming more and more strange.

'Well… Zhenbao, you are really so smart. You can actually imagine such a reasonable explanation… Because Emperor Taizu referred to astrology when painting the mural, and the Disaster Star happened to pass over the sky, which caused some changes to occur within the mural…

Well, although this logic is not rigorous, cultivation involving the Celestial Human level is full of mysteries and uncertainties… It is indeed easy to cause associations.'

The key point here is:

The Empress did not inherit the throne normally. She is not aware of some of the secrets of the Imperial Family that only emperors of past dynasties know.

Therefore, many things, especially those involving cultivation, require her to explore little by little.

Just like she didn't know the location of the Dragon Soul at first.

And in the Empress's judgment, compared to the outrageous possibility that “Zhao Du'an is Zhang Hui,” the change caused by the Disaster Star is undoubtedly more “reasonable.”

Well, or it's not that complicated at all. It's just that I've been in 'The Human World' long enough to meet certain conditions, and the guide Zhang Hui appeared… Xu Zhenguan guessed in her heart.

“So that's how it is.” Zhao Du'an seized the opportunity to go along with her words and suddenly understood, “So that's how I can come back.”

After the monarch and her subject talked for a while, the Empress's mood also improved a lot, putting aside the bad omen of the Disaster Star.

Whether it was the victory on the Western Front, the appearance of Zhang Hui, or Zhao Du'an's miraculous way of returning… they were all good things.

“How long can you maintain this state? Can you return?” Xu Zhenguan began to care about his condition.

Zhao Du'an said:

“I don't feel any discomfort, but I have a feeling that one is that I can't leave the mural too far… and the other is that I should be able to return to Linfeng from the mural, but it's uncertain whether I can come back again. I need to try.”

Xu Zhenguan nodded with a serious expression:

“Involving the realm of cultivation, no carelessness is allowed. I can't be sure if there are any problems with you staying here for a long time. To be safe, I will send you back first.”

Are we leaving now?

Zhao Du'an was silent for a moment, looking directly into the Empress's eyes:

“I can't bear to leave Your Majesty. Can I sit for a while longer?”

Xu Zhenguan's cheeks turned red, and a warmth surged in her heart. Even though Zhao Du'an had no physical form at the moment, his gaze seemed to carry a burning temperature, making her want to avoid it.

The Empress hesitated for a moment, and still softly “mm”ed, which could be regarded as tacit consent.

Zhao Dou'an chuckled and, emboldened, stood up and walked to the Empress's side, his hands testingly reaching out.

Then, unsurprisingly, he "passed" right through.

Xu Zhenguan glared at him, annoyed, "Did I tell you to come over here?"

"There are no outsiders here, and Eunuch Hai is guarding outside," Zhao Dou'an muttered. Now that the serious matters were over, the atmosphere between the two was no longer that of ruler and subject, but something else.

The Empress didn't say anything, only feeling the illusory form trying to pass through her again and again. She gave a smile that wasn't quite a smile:

"You can't even get a mouthful of saliva on me like this. What else can you do?"

"…" Zhao Dou'an retreated in frustration.

And so, in the end, the ruler and her subject simply sat quietly in the study, talking for a while.

Afterward, although the Empress felt a little reluctant, for his safety, she took him back to the old building behind the Martial Arts Hall.

Standing in front of the mural, she said:

"Try to go back first. If you can return again, then come back. If you can't, send the message back from the front lines.

The news of the Western Front's victory will surely greatly boost the morale of the court officials, but next, the alliance between Prince Jing and Prince Mu will become even closer. You and Xue Shence must be careful and not be greedy for merit and advance rashly."

The Empress gave her parting instructions.

Zhao Dou'an nodded and smiled:

"Don't make it sound like a farewell. I have a feeling that I can come back again. I'll report to Your Majesty after this battle on the front lines is over."

Xu Zhenguan smiled brightly: "Good, I'll wait for your return."

Zhao Dou'an stepped forward, his figure slowly disappearing into the stone wall.

Xu Zhenguan watched his aura completely disappear. The white-clad Empress stood alone in the old building, the afternoon sunlight shining in through the window at an angle.

Her eyes were filled with sadness and a sense of loss.

…

…

Linfeng, inside the Ning'an County government office.

Inside a tightly closed room, Zhao Dou'an, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed in meditation, suddenly opened his eyes, feeling dizzy and a strong sense of fatigue surging into his mind.

In his sea of consciousness, the green lotus swayed, spreading out a hazy glow, replenishing the consumption of his spiritual soul.

"I'm back? So tired… As expected, just like last time, entering the mortal world is especially tiring, but it should be because of entering the painting. The period in the palace didn't have much of an impact, because the latter period was much longer…"

Zhao Dou'an covered his forehead, his temples throbbing. He simply took out a few refreshing pills and swallowed them, which made him feel a little better.

"Too tired, I need to rest for a while before I can try to visualize again. I have a feeling that immediate visualization will directly fail."

Feeling the turbulence in his sea of consciousness and the fatigue of his spirit, Zhao Dou'an let out a heavy breath and gave up the idea of immediately trying to "astral project" and return to the capital.

"Has it been this long?" Zhao Dou'an stepped off the bed and looked at an hourglass placed on the table:

"That's right, the time in the painting is hard to estimate, but the time I spent seeing Zhenbao in the palace was real. I wonder if Xue Shence has returned, and the Jade Sleeve Divine Officer…"

Zhao Dou'an had no intention of resting, so he put away the weapons on the table and then pushed open the door.

Outside the door, Song Jinxi was dutifully guarding his post. Seeing him come out, he said:

"Lord, you've rested… well?"

The expression of this offering was strange, always feeling that the lord had been in there for a while, but why did he seem even more tired?

"Has the Jade Sleeve Divine Officer come out?" Zhao Dou'an asked calmly, while looking towards the inner hall.

With a "creak," the door opened, and Jade Sleeve walked out of the inner hall. The goddess's eyes were a little swollen, as if she had cried, and her expression was more emotional than her usual indifference.

She walked over and bowed very seriously to Zhao Dou'an:

"This humble Taoist saw that the lord was resting just now, so I didn't dare to disturb you."

Wait… Why are you being so polite to me after not seeing you for a while? Zhao Dou'an asked suspiciously:

"What happened?"

Jade Sleeve motioned for him to enter the inner hall and speak privately.

Zhao Dou'an ordered Song Jinxi to guard the door, and he and Jade Sleeve returned to the inner hall. He saw that Nie Yurong had been untied.

This female assassin from Embroidered Uniform Direct Guard was also crying with swollen eyes, but with a smile on her lips.

Seeing him come in, she, whose appearance was quite similar to Jade Sleeve, stood up and suddenly knelt down to Zhao Dou'an, her tone sincere and without hostility:

"This sinful woman, Nie Yurong, thanks Supervisor Zhao for his great kindness!"

Zhao Dou'an: ??

…

Two quarters of an hour later.

"So, Nie Yurong and Daoist Priest, you are sisters who have been separated for many years?"

Zhao Dou'an sat in the hall, holding a half-eaten apple in his hand, his expression extremely wonderful, with a sense of being splashed with an eight o'clock soap opera.

The story is not complicated:

Jade Sleeve and Nie Yurong were originally sisters born in Yunfu Tao. Since they were young, their bones were excellent. Because evil Taoist priests colluded with bandits to cause chaos, the sisters fled with their families. On the way, their parents and family members were killed by bandits, and the sisters were separated.

Jade Sleeve was favored by a divine officer from the Celestial Master's Mansion who was out to eradicate evil Taoist priests because of her excellent cultivation roots, and was taken back to the Celestial Master's Mansion to be cultivated as a disciple.

Nie Yurong was accidentally taken away by people from Prince Mu's Mansion and trained as an Embroidered Uniform Direct Guard.

Since then, the two sisters have been separated by thousands of miles and it was difficult to meet again, but they were both looking for each other, but after so many years, there were no clues.

The Jade Sleeve Divine Officer's emotions were much more stable at the moment, sitting opposite Zhao Dou'an, holding her sister's hand, and explaining with a smile:

"This humble Taoist's secular surname is Nie, but after entering the Celestial Master's Mansion, I changed my name to Daoist name. In previous years, I always cultivated in the capital, until I graduated, and could travel the world, then I went to Yunfu Tao.

Over the years, the reason why this humble Taoist has been traveling in Yunfu Tao, and even the territory of the Liao people, the eastern and western regions of Southern Border, is also a factor in trying to find my sister's whereabouts."

Nie Yurong hadn't wiped away her tears yet, and now she was also tightly holding her sister's hand, her emotions agitated:

"I was favored by Prince Mu's Mansion and secretly trained. The Embroidered Uniform Direct Guard organization has extremely strict discipline, and I can't move freely normally. The divine officers in the Celestial Master's Mansion are too far away from us, and I didn't expect that my sister became a divine officer and even became a disciple of the Celestial Master."

Zhao Dou'an asked curiously:

"Daoist Priest, didn't you ask Celestial Master Zhang to help you find her?"

Jade Sleeve understood what he meant, nodded and shook her head, and said with a wry smile:

"I did ask my master for help, but although my master's cultivation is high, because my younger sister also enshrines a small god in Prince Mu's Mansion, cultivating the art of concealment, and there is protection from the magic of the gods, my master can't find out."

After a pause, she suddenly said:

"However, when my master sent me to Linfeng with the lord this time, he vaguely told me that this trip might be fulfilled. I didn't understand it at the time, but now I think about it, I'm afraid that my master had already vaguely seen that my younger sister and I would be reunited."

In such a large world, after decades of time, how easy is it to meet again?

Zhao Dou'an originally had doubts in his heart, worried about whether there was any fraud in this, but after hearing that Old Zhang had hinted at it, he was relieved.

Well, even he could accidentally meet Pei Niannu's "descendant," Princess Jing, Lu Yan'er.

The reunion of the Jade Sleeve sisters is not that special.

"Lord Zhao," Jade Sleeve suddenly stood up and said solemnly:

"This humble Taoist knows that my younger sister is in Prince Mu's Mansion, and in terms of national law, she is an enemy, and now she should be a prisoner and should be severely punished. But this humble Taoist boldly wants to ask the lord to be merciful. This kindness, Jade Sleeve will remember in her heart and will definitely repay it."

Zhao Dou'an smiled, waved his hand, signaling her not to be like this, pondered slightly, and said:

"The divine officer came with the army this time, first defeating the young master of the White-Clad Sect, and then killing the Divine Dragon of the Divine Dragon Temple. With just these two things, I should owe you a favor. It's just that, as your younger sister is an Embroidered Uniform Envoy, if I let her go, it would be against the national law…"

Jade Sleeve immediately became nervous, but on the other hand, Nie Yurong was not afraid at all. She smiled and suddenly said to Jade Sleeve:

"The reason why I have been able to survive those cruel trainings in Prince Mu's Mansion all these years, and live to this day, is not for fame and fortune, but just to see my sister. Now that my wish has been fulfilled, I have no regrets. My sister, as a divine officer, should be fair. Prince Mu's Mansion is colluding with evil Taoist priests, and my hands are not clean. There is no need to plead for me."

She looked at Zhao Dou'an and said calmly:

"Whatever should be done, please, Supervisor, do not grant favors outside the law. Everything should be dealt with according to the national law."

She didn't want her background to affect Jade Sleeve's future!

Nie Yurong knew very well that she would never be able to live the life of an ordinary person in this life. As an assassin, she couldn't turn back.

But Jade Sleeve still has a bright future.

Even if the Celestial Master's Mansion is detached from the world, Jade Sleeve's involvement in the dynastic struggle because of her is a great hidden danger, especially when she is pleading with this rumored extremely black-bellied, insidious, and cunning powerful minister… This is what she doesn't want to see.

Jade Sleeve became anxious, her face changed: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Zhao Dou'an smiled as he watched the two argue, and suddenly smiled:

"Well, I have two choices that I can give you."

He held up a finger to Nie Yurong:

"The first path, this official will help you completely wash away this identity. From now on, you, this Embroidered Uniform Envoy, will be 'dead.' The real you can live anywhere, as long as you are in the area controlled by the court, I guarantee your safety.

Well, the premise is that you don't commit any more crimes. As a price, the Jade Sleeve Divine Officer must help me with something for a while."

"The second path, you continue to be your Embroidered Uniform Envoy, help me with some things, and at the same time, you will also become a Shadow Guard of the court. After you finish, it will be considered that you have made a contribution, and you will offset your crimes with merit. You can redeem your own sins with your own merits."

Nie Yurong didn't hesitate and took a step forward before her sister: "I choose the second path!"