The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 218 - 193, Report to Old Director

"Oh, Young Master, how did you end up soaking wet?"

On the other side, Xu Mingyuan returned to his home; the servant who opened the door was shocked and dismayed.

"I had too much to drink and accidentally stepped into water. It’s nothing," Xu Mingyuan said indifferently, stopping the servant from calling others, and then asked, "Did anyone come to the house today?"

The servant, while leading him inside, replied,

"A house servant from Grand Scholar Chen sent someone over with a message."

"Oh?" Xu Mingyuan raised his eyebrows, showing a bit of anticipation, "What did the teacher say?"

The servant said, "He urged you to focus more on your studies and to drink and socialize less."

"Nothing else?"

"...Nothing else."

Xu Mingyuan fell silent for a moment, then smiled—a smile that was somewhat playful, somewhat desolate, and somewhat ruthless, but not something the servant could decipher.

"I understand. Tomorrow, I will go to pay my respects to the teacher, and I won’t go drinking," Xu Mingyuan declared.

He then returned to his room, cleaned himself, and changed into dry clothes.

Sitting alone at the desk, staring at his own reflection in the bronze mirror—a face that looked like a clown’s—he murmured softly,

"It’s all because you forced me."

Xu Mingyuan pulled out a sheet of paper and spread it out on the desk.

He began to recall the sordid affairs of those Li Party scholars he had knowledge of.

Including today, all those "friends" who had cursed Zhao Douan with him in the private room were meticulously recorded.

Finally, with a firm wrist, he wrote down three characters: "Chen Zhengru," and his face in the bronze mirror twisted somewhat fiercely.

"Since there’s no turning back for me now, you all can help me one last time and serve as my pledge."

He was ready to hand over all the evidence of his teachers and classmates’ misdeeds to Zhao Douan, in exchange for support.

...

...

A night without words passed.

The following day broke, bright and sunlit, the air less stifling after the end of the season of oppressive heat.

Zhao Douan took a carriage ride early in the morning, with Little Wang pulling him; he leisurely went to buy groceries, dawdled until noon, and only then arrived at the White Horse Hall.

The back of the office.

"What brings you here again, lad?"

The Old Director, wearing a loose official robe, his temples frosted with white, his deep-set eyes furrowing in disdain, looked displeased.

Zhao Douan laughed heartily,

"Am I not just taking advantage of some free time to come and drink with you? After all, I am still an emissary of our White Horse Hall."

Sun Lianying scorned,

"Coming here to mooch drinks is more like it."

Every time Zhao Douan came, he only brought food, and then drank his osmanthus wine. Originally, one jar of wine could last him a leisurely month.

But every time Zhao Douan visited, he would finish at least two jars.

"This is an imperial gift..." the Old Director muttered reluctantly, but still turned to fetch it.

Zhao Douan chuckled,

"Worst comes to worst, next time I achieve something noteworthy, I’ll ask His Majesty for a reward, and I’ll ask for nothing but wine. I’ll replenish your stock."

The Old Director returned with the jar of wine, sat down at the stone table in the courtyard out of habit, and Zhao Douan had already laid out the delicacies brought from the restaurant, grumbling,

"Make a name for yourself? I see you’ve been quite relaxed these days; you don’t seem to have any intention of making a mark. What, not in a hurry like before?"

Zhao Douan poured him a full cup himself, smiling and pointing at the sky,

"The Immortal Battle in the imperial court is raging, am I not just avoiding the sharp edge?"

The Old Director huffed lightly,

"It’s good that you’re aware. The new policies are indeed related to you; if you get involved, once pushed to the forefront, not even immortals can save you."

Zhao Douan nodded, continuing to eat while inquiring about the current situation in the imperial court.

Sun Lianying shook his head,

"It’s not optimistic. After all, Her Majesty has not been on the throne for long. In these new policies, the ones about opening the markets are still somewhat manageable; they are like a soft knife. People outside still cannot grasp the essence; those have mostly succeeded.

But the Examination Method and Land-to-Military Service Tax are fraught with difficulties...

You’ve touched too many interests this time; many officials in the court have local gentry behind them, or transition from scholars to officials... How many are like Han Pottage from a poor family?

The bigger the gentry families, the more they resist. Although Her Majesty has also gained the support of part of the faction, the strength of the ’Imperial Faction’ is still insufficient to counteract all the officials in the court.

In my view, if Her Majesty insists, the implementation can be pushed through; subjects won’t openly disobey orders. But whether it can be ’executed,’ and how effectively it can be ’executed,’ are hard to say."

Though he had always been in the palace, the Old Director, whose intelligence was far underestimated, sighed,

"No matter how good the strategy, it needs people to employ it. Her Majesty’s authority is strong, but once you leave the Capital, you have to rely on the various officials to get things done... as they say, current officials are more relevant than old ones.

In the end, if those officials who come from gentry families and hold important positions do not agree, even if it is implemented, it will be lip service with numerous errors. Her Majesty must also be having a tough time these days."

Zhao Douan listened in silence.

He was not surprised by the situation today.

Just like what Sun Lianying said, this chess game was not an easy one to play.

In the history he was familiar with, every reform was also met with significant internal resistance.

Even an emperor with consolidated power, with no one daring to disobey, when their ministers’ interests were affected, they mostly ended in failure.

How much more so for an Empress?

"Eh, why are you so taciturn this time, lad? No, that’s not right. You must be seeking my help for something," the Old Director squinted his eyes, sensing the essential point.

Zhao Douan laughed heartily,

"I don’t have anything particularly significant, just some inquiries. Well, you must be quite familiar with the palace affairs... how much do you know about Lady Yuan’s background?"

Lady Yuan?

The Old Director sobered up halfway, sitting up slightly, and stared at him,

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

Sun Lianying saw a familiar expression in Zhao Douan’s smile.

Every time the other man planned against someone and sought his help, it was always like this.

"Who are you planning to deal with now?"

The Old Director asked gravely, his cloudy eyes now sharp.

"Has it really involved the inner palace?"

Previously, no matter how Zhao Douan stirred up trouble, it all happened outside of the palace.

But this time, it involved Lady Yuan... The nature of the matter had drastically changed.

Zhao Douan fell silent, then exhaled a name: "Li Yinglong."

The Old Director’s pupils shrank, the remaining half of his wine also sobered him:

"Have you gone mad? Does Your Majesty know about this?"

He spoke halfway, then the old eunuch, who was a close confidant of the Empress, shook his head and said:

"No! Your Majesty would never let you go after him, especially not now. Are you acting on your own? Because he offended you? Wait... Do you already have some dirt on him? Related to Yuan Fei?"

The older eunuch’s face grew more serious as he spoke, with a blend of sternness and shock:

"What is Lady Yuan’s connection with Li Yinglong?"

This was information that even he was unaware of.

Zhao Douan, his hands greasy, slowly began to tear apart a roast duck, handing half to the Old Director, and tore off another piece of meat to eat, his demeanor composed as he said:

"Are you sure you want to hear it?"

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The Old Director was silent.

Then, he slowly leaned back into his chair, narrowing his eyes.

After a moment, he said:

"Anyway, don’t even think about taking down Li Yinglong at this time. Even if you really could get your hands on enough evidence to send him to the Imperial Prison, you shouldn’t use it."

He said, and perhaps fearing Zhao Douan wouldn’t heed the advice, he earnestly persuaded:

"It’s not that I’m asking you to be forbearing, but impatience will spoil great plans.

Behind Li Yinglong is Li Yanfu, the entirety of the Li Party. And as Your Majesty is presently advancing her new policies, now is not the time to go to war with the Li Party.

If you take action against Li Yinglong, it would be tantamount to forcing a struggle to the death between sovereign and ministers. At that time, it would cause a disturbance that would shake the Nine Roads and Eighteen Prefectures of Great Yu, the court can’t withstand such agitation! Neither can the new policies!

Do you think Your Majesty doesn’t want to move against him? It’s not that she can’t, but she has to consider the cost! The timing! When to act, and when not to!"

Zhao Douan continued eating roast duck calmly, even taking a moment to pour a cup of wine for the Old Director, who had spoken until he was out of breath, before he smiled and said:

"What you said makes sense."

Sun Lianying paused for a moment, seeing his composed attitude, then he suddenly calmed down:

"Are you not planning to take down Li Yinglong at this time?"

Zhao Douan smiled and said:

"Do you think I am impulsive?"

Of course not... Although Zhao Douan’s outward impression was always domineering and confrontational, willing to provoke anyone, Sun Lianying knew very well that it was all a facade.

The young man before him was clearly youthful, yet possessed the instinct and calm of an old fox in the court.

Every seemingly reckless action was carefully considered for its advantage and disadvantage, even positioning himself as a part of the chess game.

A natural chess player—this was Yuan Li’s assessment of him.

"What exactly do you want to do?"

Sun Lianying was somewhat baffled.

Despite his reluctance to admit it, but with his life’s experience of court intrigue, he couldn’t fathom the true intentions of this young man.

Zhao Douan picked up a handkerchief, meticulously wiped his hands, and said:

"I’m not certain yet, some ideas exist only in my mind, only in hypotheses, needing step by step verification.

Whether success is possible, or what the chances are, I cannot judge.

But in any case, you only need to know, I am wholly loyal to Her Majesty, and all that I do is for the sake of alleviating Her Majesty’s concerns."

Sun Lianying fell silent again, and after a while, he said:

"I can trust you, right?"

Zhao Douan revealed his pearly white teeth, smiling:

"Of course."

"Good." Sun Lianying seemed to make a decision, his eyes half-closed, he said:

"I won’t ask what you are hiding, there’s not much I know about Lady Yuan, mostly superficial, which you could also find out from the Imperial Court.

As for other matters, since entering the palace she has been downcast and joyless, never vying with other concubines for favor. Other concubines all hope to bear a dragon heir, but Lady Yuan has rarely sought to please the late Emperor."

Zhao Douan said:

"Will Lady Yuan leave the palace soon?"

Sun Lianying looked at him:

"When the late Emperor was alive, it was rare for concubines to have the opportunity to leave the palace. But times have changed, since Her Majesty’s ascension, the Six Palaces have been peaceful, and Her Majesty is much more lenient toward them.

The concubines often get the opportunity to return home to visit their relatives, and this is organized by the palace’s Department of Ceremonial Affairs."

After the Empress’s accession, the three thousand beauties of the harem suddenly lost the object of their ’competition for favor.’

A group of female beings was harmonious, left only with boredom and loneliness.

Perhaps being a woman herself, the Empress was quite liberal about the matter of the concubines leaving the palace.

Zhao Douan asked again:

"So, will Lady Yuan leave the palace soon?"

Sun Lianying fell silent for a moment, then said:

"When do you need her to leave the palace?"

Zhao Douan: "I’m not certain yet, but if all goes well, probably within this month."

Sun Lianying: "I have served many years in the palace, and though I have now come to the White Horse Hall, I can still have a say in such a trivial matter."

Zhao Douan: "Will it alarm some people?"

Sun Lianying: "Achievements come from secrecy. If you need it, even Mo Zhaorong, who is in charge of the Six Palaces, won’t notice anything unusual."

This old man’s control over the harem was this terrifying?

Out of the palace for two years, and he still had the confidence to say that if he intervened, even Mo Chou wouldn’t be able to detect anything in the harem...

Zhao Douan took a deep breath, feeling that his "old leader" was becoming more and more inscrutable:

"If that’s the case, I shall drink a toast to you."

The Old Director laughed and scolded:

"Don’t make an offering with someone else’s flowers. Don’t forget, when you gain merit this time, to ask Her Majesty for wine on my behalf."

"It’s a deal."

"As solid as gold."