The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 213 - 188, once you enter this room, whether you can leave or not is not up to you.

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"Yes!"

Today, replacing a temporary "coachman," the Lihua Hall’s ruffian Hou Renmeng responded.

He lightly pressed down the brim of his sun hat, flicking his wrist to make the horsewhip crack sharply.

A group of government officers on a secret investigation headed straight for the Divine Dragon Temple.

...

On the other side, a carriage from the Li Mansion was also making its way to the Divine Dragon Temple.

Inside the carriage, the sixth concubine of the Young Master, respectfully called Lady Lin, sat quietly, like a lifeless piece of deadwood.

Or perhaps a beautiful skeleton that had lost its soul.

Opposite her sat a maid assigned by Li Yinglong, who appeared respectful but was actually watching the "Sixth Madam" intently, not missing the slightest movement.

Today, Lady Lin wore a pure white dress, appearing particularly lovely and captivating.

But only she knew that this white dress symbolized a kind of heartbreak, a show of loyalty for her husband.

Indeed, it was just a pretense.

Perhaps even...

She feared that as time went on, under the persuasion of that Li family’s old woman, she would eventually become completely numb.

Adapt to the new life and willingly submit to the enemy who tore her marriage apart.

Lady Lin was acutely aware of the terrifying ability of people to adapt to their environment.

During her time in Jiangnan, she had witnessed many performers who initially held firm in their resolve to save money and buy their freedom.

But ultimately, as time passed, they never mustered the courage to leave.

To the point that they became assimilated, making the life of a geisha their final destination.

For this reason, even though she was renowned for her talent and beauty, quickly making a name for herself in Jiangnan, attracting the admiration of many literati and scholars,

at the peak, she was only a step away from becoming the top Oiran on the geisha list.

She resolutely chose to retire, not marrying into any noble family as a concubine but following her heart and choosing a businessman, who at the time was not outstanding, as her husband.

In just a few years, her husband’s business grew larger, and Lady Lin bid farewell to her past.

This journey to the Capital was both to accompany her husband on a business trip and to see the Great Yu Dynasty’s mightiest city with her own eyes.

However, she unexpectedly stepped into hell.

During her time at the Li Mansion, it was as if she was trapped in a prison cage, longing for her husband day and night, doing nothing but visiting the temple to pray for him.

Fortunately, that hypocritical Li Yinglong had not completely confined her.

Perhaps to persuade her to change her mind quickly, or maybe because he was recently occupied with court affairs and neglected her, he allowed her to go out for a breath of fresh air.

At this moment, Lady Lin’s beautiful and elegant face gazed at the bustling street scenes outside the shaking curtains, and her gloomy mood eased a bit.

...

A moment later.

The Li Mansion’s carriage stopped outside the Divine Dragon Temple.

"Madam, we’ve arrived," the maid in the carriage calmly said,

"Our family doesn’t need to squeeze with those lowly commoners to burn incense and worship Buddha outside. We can go directly to the back hall for more peace."

The Divine Dragon Temple covered a vast area, with several courtyards in the front for devotees to worship Buddha.

But in front of the Buddha, there was also a hierarchy; for esteemed devotees who donated regularly, there were special "VIP" rooms, and the Li family was naturally included.

"Alright."

Lady Lin responded coldly with a nasal sound, expressing her disdain for the high and mighty demeanor of the Li family’s servants.

She gracefully alighted from the carriage, the Protector driving the carriage watching her vigilantly without a word.

"I can’t escape," Lady Lin remarked with a touch of sarcasm.

The Protector merely clasped his hands, "Please forgive me, Madam."

The Protector and the maid were naturally there to watch over her.

At this time, a young monk approached proactively and, seeing it was the Li family’s carriage, immediately led the three through a side door, avoiding the noisy front hall.

They were led to a serene Buddhist Temple.

"Must you also stay so close while I worship and study the scriptures? Or are you afraid I can escape from here?"

Lady Lin, seeing the two following closely, couldn’t help but feel irritated. Though she was of geisha origin, she exuded a formidable presence.

Both of them quickly lowered their heads, "We dare not."

After all, being a beloved concubine of their master, they dared not truly offend her.

Seeing that the front of the Buddhist Temple had only one main door, they thought even a weak woman would have no chance of escape and thus positioned themselves to guard the entrance.

Only then did Lady Lin’s brows slightly relax. Wearing her white gauze dress, she stepped into the hall.

It was a small side hall, with wooden pillars supporting the dome.

On the offering table ahead stood a statue of the Medicine Buddha.

Silken drapes hung on both sides, and the air was filled with curling smoke, and there were usually monks stationed inside, but none were visible.

Lady Lin didn’t dwell on it, assuming the monk on duty wasn’t present, which suited her desire for peace and quiet.

She closed the temple door behind her.

Walking straight to the Buddha, she knelt, clasped her hands, and closed her eyes. Her oval face was focused and silently prayed for her husband, whose situation was unknown.

She also prayed for divine protection for her own bitter fate.

Thump... Thump... Thump...

The sound of a mokugyo outside the room, faint chanting from the front hall, and the solemn and sacred atmosphere of the ancient temple gradually calmed her heart.

However, just as her prayer was nearing its end, she faintly sensed footsteps approaching.

Lady Lin opened her eyes a crack and saw that in front of her prayer mat had appeared a pair of boots.

Looking up, there were legs.

And a voice from a man, half-smiling:

"What a lovely little lady."

Ah!

Lady Lin was startled, her beautiful face turning pale as she was frightened by the mysterious man who appeared like a ghost.

Opening her mouth to scream, she felt a pain in her chest and abdomen, and her cry turned into a hoarse exhalation.

"Shh, don’t scream, you don’t want those outside to barge in, do you?"

The mysterious man raised a finger, keeping it on his lips, smiling with a remarkably handsome face, after having struck her "mute acupoint" with a flick of his Qi Mechanism.

Lady Lin staggered backward, hastily regaining her footing, and with a heart still beating fast, she tried to speak:

"Who... are you?"

She was able to speak again.

Naturally, the mysterious man was Zhao Douan. He chuckled and didn’t move closer to provoke her further.

Instead, he leisurely walked towards the incense table, waving a few sticks of sandalwood in his hand:

"If one is here, and not a monk, then naturally one is a devotee."

Devotee?

Lady Lin was momentarily stunned, pondering how she hadn’t seen him before.

Then she thought that perhaps he had been behind the drapes earlier, fetching incense when she entered, and thus she hadn’t seen him...

Even the young monk leading the way hadn’t mentioned other devotees being present...

Gradually calming her Divine Soul, Lady Lin noticed the youth before her was dressed in understated and elegant fine clothes, with exceptionally handsome features.

She thought, fearing he might be a scion from some eminent family in the Capital. But her sixth sense subtly warned her that something strange emanated from the man, suspecting he was not there by coincidence, she tentatively asked:

"Is this gentleman here to worship Buddha too? I didn’t see you earlier. May I know your name?"

"Me?"

Zhao Douan stepped gracefully, lighting the sandalwood as he chuckled and casually replied:

"My surname is Zhao, Zhao Douan."

Boom!

The moment she heard the name, Lady Lin’s eyes widened instantly!

Her body instinctively stepped back, her expression frozen in shock, and then came an innate fear!

Zhao Douan!

Even though she wasn’t from the Capital, the name was not unfamiliar.

At the time she arrived in the Capital, Zhao Douan was rising to fame; she had heard some legends about this gigolo of the Empress.

It was said he was ruthless, vengeful over the smallest grievance, and those who offended him met with tragic ends, leaving their families ruined and destroyed.

Relying on the Emperor’s favoritism, he acted arrogant and unrestrained, being a notorious figure in the Imperial Court, second only to Lord Ma Yan, known as the "Little King Yan."

An out-and-out scoundrel, the Empress’s number-one lackey, infamous, insidious, and ruthless...

Simply put, compared to him, Li Yinglong’s reputation was that of a gentleman who followed the rules.

"Are you that... White Horse Hall..."

"Heh heh, is my reputation so great that even the Sixth Madam knows of Zhao?"

Thump, thump, thump!

Lady Lin retreated in fear several steps, both shocked by his identity and sensing his intentions were not simple:

"You... know me?"

"Madam, please don’t be anxious," Zhao Douan said with a gentle smile, blowing out the firestick and shaking the incense again.

He seemed nothing like the tyrannical government officer he was rumored to be, rather, more like an erudite scholar from a renowned family:

"Heh, I’ve never met you, Madam, but I do recognize you... Well, the Young Master... Vice Minister Li, hasn’t he mentioned me to you? Ah, it seems not. We serve in the same court, and we’ve had some dealings."

Lady Lin paused in confusion.

Li Yinglong’s friend?

That was her first thought...

As a merchant’s wife from Jiangnan, she knew very little about the court disputes, which was also the disposition of most Great Yu Dynasty citizens:

They’d heard of the names of a few prominent figures, but beyond that, they knew nothing.

They did not know how many factions the court had nor the complex interpersonal relationships between different bureaucrats.

Therefore, even having heard some news of Zhao Douan’s exploits, such as arresting dozens of officials, clashing with Marquis Xiajiang, and even Princess Yunyang, she didn’t know whether Zhao Douan was a friend or foe of Li Yinglong.

Zhao Douan, as clever as he was, probed with a few words and discerned the background of the Sixth Madam. He smilingly said,

"Of course, it’s understandable not knowing this officer. But just now, my abrupt appearance startled the beauty."

As he spoke, he looked down at the woman in front of him.

Inwardly, he couldn’t help but admire her and secretly thought that even if Li Yinglong’s abilities were lacking, you could always trust the aesthetic taste of noble families...

With an oval face, silk-thin brows, and a gentle, elegant beauty.

Especially in a simple dress, with her sorrowful, melancholic look, she embodied both the decency of a good family and the allure of a geisha...

Lady Lin, feeling his scrutiny, welled with a sense of discomfort, akin to being stripped bare.

Especially when thinking of his notorious reputation, she turned sideways, her tone growing cold:

"There’s no need to stand on ceremony, Mr. Zhao. If it was a misunderstanding, then please, make yourself at ease. I shall take my leave."

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Saying so, she stepped forward, intent on leaving—

Though she was reluctant to return to the Li family, she was even less willing to remain in this temple with Zhao Douan.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that he harbored ill intentions.

Otherwise, why would their encounter here be so coincidental?

Moreover, it seemed as if he was waiting for her arrival.

Zhao Douan did not stop her.

Instead, he turned and, clasping the burning sandalwood with both hands, perfunctorily bowed to the Buddha statue, then placed the incense in the burner.

He said softly,

"Madam, you should think it over; once you’ve entered this room, leaving is no longer up to you."

Hiss—

In the burner, the blue smoke suddenly swirled chaotically for a moment.

Lady Lin’s steps halted instantly.

With her delicate hands, she stopped in the air, just half a foot away from the temple door.

A deep knife mark slowly appeared on the ground in front of her.

It was only a hair’s breadth away from cutting through her embroidered shoes.

Lady Lin’s back bristled with cold sweats pouring down like a waterfall.

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