The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 195 - 173, The Goddess of the Lake, The Madman on the Island

After dinner, by the time Zhao Douan arrived at the Xiuwen Pavilion, the sun had already risen quite high.

He wasn’t in the least bit panicked; as an "outside scholar," he saw his role as an "advisor" in the new policy.

So, he even took the time to drop by Lihua Hall, make a brief appearance, and then hurry over.

He entered the Pavilion without hindrance, and upon pushing open the door, saw that the vast government office was already bustling with activity.

Scholars were either handling memorials, official documents from various departments, or refining the "Golden Three Strategies."

"Zhao... Scholar."

"Mr. Zhao, you’re here?"

"Good day, Mr. Zhao."

The scholars all took the initiative to greet him, and the treatment compared to yesterday morning had changed dramatically.

However, probably still finding it difficult to accept a martial artist as a colleague, many used different titles.

Mr. Zhao Douan was magnanimous and didn’t bother to dispute with a bunch of literati.

His gaze swept the room and landed on the "female chancellor," who also occupied a desk.

"Where is the Grandmaster? Why don’t I see him?"

Zhao Douan strolled over, pulled a chair over, and sat down out of habit.

"..." Mo Zhaorong didn’t wish to deal with him and replied with a stern face:

"The Grandmaster has gone out with Han Zhou; with your three strategies, there is a lot to be done..."

After briefly explaining, she added:

"You’ve come at the right time; the Grandmaster said this morning that there’s a matter for you to oversee."

"What matter?" Zhao Douan was curious.

"The Yellow Book Library," Mo Chou uttered three words, explaining:

"When the Great Ancestor founded Great Yu, to understand how many people and how much land were in each region, he spent twenty years recording all citizens in the registry, also surveying and recording the land...

Since the court’s tax revenue is based on the headcount, this Yellow Register is closely related to taxation, cannot be taken lightly, and is required to be revised every ten years.

That is to say, when completed, it becomes four copies: one submitted to the Ministry of Revenue, and the other three kept by the Governor Office, Mansion, and counties respectively."

Hmm... a census of Great Yu...

So, the Yellow Book Library is the world’s largest archive... Zhao Douan considered.

And according to Mo Chou, the Yellow Book Library had been around for too long.

Due to the levy on population, local areas had given rise to too many fraudulent practices, hiding populations, altering records...

In short, the data in the Yellow Register had become severely erroneous.

"The Grandmaster means to ask for your views on this Yellow Book Library," Mo Chou said.

Views?

He’s asking me for ideas to solve the data falsification problem... Zhao Douan caught the implication and after thinking a bit, asked:

"Where is this storeroom? I need to see the situation for myself."

Mo Chou was not surprised and said:

"It’s located behind the lake north of the Capital, not far. If we ride there, we’ll arrive quickly."

Zhao Douan had nothing better to do and was quite curious about the largest archive in Great Yu, so he nodded in agreement.

...

The two agreed not to take a carriage and each rode out of the Capital’s north gate.

Not far on their journey, they saw green mountains rising abruptly from the ground, forming a circle with a majestic presence.

The lake, spanning a radius of forty li and nestled among the mountains, boasted stunning scenery like a gem set into the earth.

"Clippety-clop..."

Zhao Douan gripped the horsewhip, trotting along, and gazed towards the distant lake, wondering:

"I’ve heard that this place is a Royal Garden, guarded by the imperial guard, and that no one is allowed near. I’ve never been here before, but who would have thought that the so-called Yellow Book Library would be hidden here?"

Having left home, Mo Chou had changed out of her official robes and hat.

She now dressed in an ordinary, slightly masculine attire, her black hair cascaded behind her head.

Her whole person’s cold and breathtaking temperament diminished, becoming much softer.

Ignoring the authority in her eyes and brows, one might mistake her for a young lady from a scholarly family.

This time she said lightly:

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"Yellow Registers are made every ten years; across six hundred years, although the overly ancient registers have been destroyed, still, millions remain.

Due to its importance to the state, it must be kept near the Capital for easy access. Where else within the city could one find a space big enough?

In the lake behind, they used riverbed silt to construct five ’islands,’ referred to as ’Five Continents,’ named Huan, Ying, Ling, Liang, and Cui...

Due to the natural geographical separation, storing the Yellow Register on the islands not only prevents fire hazards but also ensures security; no better place could be found.

The only trouble is the island’s moisture and rodents, but it can be managed with air-drying, ventilation, and guardian supervision during summer and autumn."

Millions of registers?

Zhao Douan clicked his tongue in wonder.

For a feudal dynasty, a library with tens of thousands of books was already rare.

Let alone a repository of a million...

As they chatted, they reached the vicinity of the lake.

Mo Zhaorong took out her waist card, and the nearby soldiers respectfully allowed them to pass.

Then, the two reached the pier, where they saw the boats in the dock were sealed with seals.

An official emerged from the shore, learned that Mo Zhaorong was on a mission to inspect the archives, and did not dare to delay.

He immediately unsealed a boat, and the official steered it himself, transporting the two to the island.

Standing on the boat, Zhao Douan felt a gentle breeze and the heat dissipating.

The view of the lake and mountains before him was breathtakingly beautiful.

Additionally, since it was summer, a large expanse of lotus flowers bloomed in the lake; the boat moved across the extremely peaceful surface, with countless lush green lotus leaves and vibrant lotus blossoms swaying gracefully on either side.

"With such scenery, if it weren’t guarded by the imperial guard, I fear it would be crowded with people long ago."

Zhao Douan marveled, then looked down at the lotus blossoms alongside the boat and said:

"I heard this morning that the Divine Dragon Temple is selling lotus flowers, but from what I saw, they can’t compare to here."

Mo Chou grinned softly and came to stand beside him; her eyes reflecting the lake and mountains, her mood uplifted, she pridefully said:

"Although the lotus pond of the Divine Dragon Temple is fine, only the Buddha Lotus within the inner courtyard of the temple is bathed in abundant Buddha Light, out of reach for ordinary people. As for those sold to the public, they’re mere ordinary lotus flowers of the outer courtyard, hardly worth mentioning."

Zhao Douan acknowledged that he had learned something and was inspired:

"I’ve heard that during the Ghost Festival, the mages from the Divine Dragon Temple will hold a ritual to worship the gods?"

Mo Chou gave him a glance:

"Yes. Every year on the Ghost Festival, they at least send monks of the ’World’ level to preside over it. The Divine Dragon Temple is quite keen on this, and they invite quite a few dignitaries to participate every year. Ha, they say it’s to worship the gods, but it’s more about making money.

The Heavenly Master Mansion only holds rituals within their compound and doesn’t invite outsiders...

Why, do you want to check it out?

Ha, with the reputation you’ve made for yourself these past few months, you just might get invited... assuming, of course, that the great Buddhist abbot is willing to extend an olive branch to someone as notorious and infamous as you."

I feel like you’re mocking me, but I have no proof... Zhao Douan shook his head.

He wasn’t interested in any ritual to worship the gods, but he was very interested in the Divine Dragon Temple.

After all, it was a cultivation power on par with the Heavenly Master Mansion.

The abbot, Master Xuan Yin, within the temple, was among the world’s strongest, capable of going head-to-head with Heavenly Master Zhang.

Since his arrival in this time, he hadn’t had any interaction with the monks of the Divine Dragon Temple, and naturally, he was curious.

As he was contemplating this, suddenly, the boat slightly shook.

It was as if there was some disturbance beneath the waters, disturbing this stretch of the lake.

Zhao Douan’s martial artist instincts were immediately aroused.

His pupils sharply constricted as he subconsciously gripped the hidden Golden Crow Flying Dagger in his sleeve.

His muscles tensed, his gaze firmly fixed on the turbulent ripples on the deep green watersurface.

He was like a hunter in a primeval forest sensing danger.

As if a great peril was approaching the boat from beneath the waters!

"There’s no need to be nervous," said Mo Chou next to him, her face slightly changing, but still managing to remain calm:

"Don’t worry, the thing at the bottom of the lake can’t come up."

As if to confirm her words,

the next moment, that strange disturbance disappeared, and Zhao Douan instantly lost his target.

Still not daring to relax his guard, he asked:

"What is this thing at the bottom of the lake?"

"I don’t know," replied Mo Chou with unabashed confidence:

"Anyway, it’s something very powerful. You can think of it as the ’Lake God’ that guards the back lake. If a cultivator sneaks in, trying to get close to the Yellow Book Library, the Lake God will strike and kill them."

After a pause, her expression turned odd as she said:

"I also asked Her Majesty once, since the Yellow Book Library is so important, and if mortals can’t get on the island, but what if cultivators took action? Her Majesty said the back lake has two guardians, one at the bottom and one on the island. One is a prisoner, and the other is also a prisoner."

Maybe the Empress’s family name was Lu… Zhao Douan commented in his mind, thinking it was indeed a heavily guarded royal place, with unfathomable depth.

Besides the evident strong ones, who knows how many hid in the shadows.

But the word "prisoners" seemed to imply that the experts here weren’t willingly guarding the place.

The boat slowly drifted away from the lotus pond.

No one noticed that within the dark green lotuses, large bubbles began to rise abruptly from the watersurface.

Then, the face of a young woman, pale and devoid of blood, with white lifeless eyes, slowly rose to the surface.

Her long hair floated underneath the water like strands of seaweed.

The woman, dressed in red, had her hands and feet locked in dark chains, the long chains seemed endless, stretching to the depths of the lake.

The white-eyed woman at the bottom of the lake slowly lifted her head, floating on the watersurface.

She quietly watched the departing boat.

Her pupil-less eyes fixated on the handsome young man on the boat.

After a long while, she slowly sank to the bottom of the lake.

...

Meanwhile.

The boat carrying Zhao Douan had also arrived at "Ring Island," one of the five islands of the back lake.

As soon as he disembarked, he saw several houses standing on the island.

Arranged much like a government office, it was clear they were the dwellings of the officials guarding this place.

Furthermore, not far away was the only pavilion, although its purpose was not clear, quite conspicuous.

"The head of the Yellow Book Library bids welcome to Miss Mo."

From the office on the island, an official in his fifties emerged and hurriedly bowed in greeting.

He then looked at Zhao Douan with hesitation.

Mo Chou simply said:

"This is Mr. Zhao. He is here to inspect the Yellow Registers in the library."

The old librarian, perhaps due to long years isolated on the island, was not quick to guess Zhao Douan’s identity, but he didn’t ponder further.

Whoever the official was from whatever office, it was best not to offend them.

He immediately welcomed them with a smile:

"Please sign in first as per the procedure, and then I’ll take you both to the library."

The two complied without objection.

After completing the simple formalities of signing and stamping, as they stepped out of the room, Zhao Douan pointed to a distant building, asking with curiosity:

"What’s that place? I see there’s only one pavilion here."

Hearing the question, the old librarian’s face changed slightly, and he spoke quietly:

"Lord, please don’t go there. That pavilion houses a crazed man, exiled to the island during the late Emperor’s time, rarely seen.

Her Majesty only requires us to regularly send food and drink.

If there’s any danger on the lake, that madman will step in to protect us.

Seems like he is a highly skilled cultivator."

Another prisoner?

Zhao Douan raised an eyebrow, vaguely sensing that the madman on the island and the "Lake God" in the lake might be a check against each other.

At that moment, as if sensing someone’s gaze, a slit opened in the window on the second floor of the small pavilion.

Despite being dozens of yards away, Zhao Douan suddenly felt a chill as if a terrifying beast had set its sights on him.

...

Rushing update, will format later.