The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 221 - 196, Zhao Douan: Vice Minister, do you still remember me?

"Priest Jin Jian?"

Dong was stunned for a few moments before he abruptly recognized the girl’s identity and instinctively thought to rise:

"how come… uh, are you also Brother Zhao’s guest?"

It was then he remembered that rumor had it Zhao Douan was indeed acquainted with Heavenly Master Zhang’s young disciple, and they shared a close relationship.

Yet, the arrival of Jin Jian still left him unable to conceal his astonishment.

Was such a big reaction necessary… it seemed even more nerve-wracking than meeting a significant government officer… Zhao Douan internally criticized, then realized belatedly.

It seemed, he had underestimated the stature of the seemingly dim-witted young girl…

Perhaps, after more frequent encounters, one might lose the sense of awe, but for the vast majority in the Imperial Court, just the identity of "Heavenly Master’s disciple" alone held substantial weight.

"…" Jin Jian glanced at him, seemingly did not recognize who he was, then bowed her head and started eating.

Zhao Douan cheerfully said, "Mr. Dong, there’s no need to be surprised."

Dong, realizing he had behaved inappropriately, looked around and saw few were paying attention, then lowered his voice:

"Brother Zhao, you must have some significant plans today."

Zhao Douan smiled:

"Stay calm, it’s not really a big deal, just that there might be a play unfolding today, hence specially inviting Mr. Dong and the priest as witnesses… haha, don’t worry, it won’t put you in a difficult position.

After all, I also have some connections with the Grandmaster."

A play?

A witness?

And what does it have to do with my grandfather?

Dong was bewildered, failing to understand.

…

…

"Vice Minister, it’s right over there," the carriage traveled across the street.

Inside the spacious carriage.

Xu Mingyuan was barely sitting on his seat, looking out the car window at the street view, pointing at a building ahead.

Li Yinglong, who had closed his eyes in feigned sleep, opened his eyes and commanded the coachman to stop nearby.

Considering that Chen Zhengru had invited him to meet, it certainly had to avoid a crowded place.

So he brought only a coachman cum bodyguard, and even refrained from using his favorite sedan.

He was also not wearing his official robe but a simple long gown.

Now stepping out of the carriage, Xu Mingyuan proactively led the way, and Li Yinglong was not surprised about meeting in such a place.

"The teacher is upstairs in a private room," Xu Mingyuan said.

Li Yinglong nodded, stood with his hands behind his back, and ascended the steps.

Just why, upon arriving, he vaguely sensed some discomfort.

But he couldn’t pinpoint what was odd.

It was very quiet upstairs.

"My lord, the private room is right there, just go ahead, I shall not follow," Xu Mingyuan very "thoughtfully" halted his steps.

Li Yinglong nodded. Since it was a confidential talk, it naturally wasn’t good to let him follow.

Without even giving him a glance, he stepped directly to the quiet private room’s door, didn’t even knock, but lifted his hand and creaked, pushed the door open.

What met his eyes was not a door but an indoor screen.

Through the screen, he vaguely saw a blurry figure behind it, who seemed a bit nervous upon hearing the door open, wanted to speak, then appeared scared.

Li Yinglong stepped around it, then suddenly froze, exclaiming:

"Madam?"

In the room, beside a low couch, a woman with an oval face and silkworm eyebrows was standing, her clothing simple and plain, almost as if deliberately dressed in men’s attire. Her facial features bore a striking resemblance to Lady Lin.

Li Yinglong was dumbfounded, not understanding why his newly favored concubine appeared here.

His eyes scanned around, but where was Chen Zhengru?

On the other side, already one step ahead, Yuan Fei, who had suffered from insomnia last night till now, finally saw her long-lost old lover, and had a moment of daze.

Out of excitement, she had not immediately realized something was wrong, hearing the word "Madam," her mind didn’t react, perhaps thinking she had heard wrong.

In an instant, thousands of thoughts in her heart turned into a highly complex call:

"Mr. Li... you came..."

Mr. Li...

Li Yinglong froze, then suddenly shockingly awakened, though the person in front of him bore a resemblance, she wasn’t Lady Lin.

Then who was she…

Boom!

A thought flashed across Li Yinglong’s mind like lightning, accompanied by thunder.

"Yuan Ru?! Is it you?"

He asked almost in disbelief.

Then, not waiting for the disguised Imperial Concubine to answer, although unskilled and mediocre, the instinctive strong sense of crisis in the Young Master surged wildly.

Why would the Imperial Concubine appear here?

And appearing to have known in advance that I would come?

Where is Chen Zhengru?

What is going on?

Not right... that Xu Mingyuan... something is wrong!

Li Yinglong’s expression suddenly changed, feeling a chilling coldness crawling up his spine from his feet to the crown of his head.

Even though it was late summer, he felt as if he was in the dead of winter.

Although dressed as a man, the carefully made-up Imperial Concubine, now dazed again, also sensed something was amiss.

She furrowed her brows, "Mr. Li, why..."

Li Yinglong, with a grim expression, suddenly asked: "Why are you here?"

The Imperial Concubine, frightened by his demeanor, bewilderedly said:

"Didn’t you write a letter asking me to meet here..."

Saying so, she took out the "token" jade pendant from Li Yinglong.

Letters... meetings... jade pendant... Xu Mingyuan...

At that moment, Li Yinglong’s mind buzzed, thoughts swirling.

In a rush, though still unable to fully grasp the complete cause and effect, but...

"I’ve been duped!"

Without hesitation, the Young Master turned and rushed out of the room, but where could he find the guide, Xu Hanlin?

At that moment, beneath the stairs, a noisy disturbance suddenly arose as if a large crowd had burst through the door.

Accompanied by a reprimand:

"I and my men have received a report that rebels are hiding here. Anyone who hinders the investigation is conspiring with the rebellion and will be shown no mercy in their execution!"

The floor below erupted into chaos, with cries of alarm sounding from all around.

Footsteps rapidly approached this way.

"This is bad..."

With sallow features and sunken eye sockets, Li Yinglong’s heart suddenly sank.

He decisively returned to his room, shut the door, and used a screen to block it.

"Mr. Li... wherever you’re going, take me with you," Yuan Fei also panicked, having heard the commotion caused by the government officers downstairs, her face already pale as clay.

A strong desire to survive led her to grasp at Li Yinglong as if he were a lifeline.

"Get out of my way!"

At that moment, Li Yinglong was like a clay Bodhisattva crossing the river—how could he remember past affections?

He hurriedly pushed Yuan Fei down and sprinted to the window, pushing it open.

This was the second floor, and behind the window lay a small alley paved with bluestones.

Li Yinglong didn’t hesitate; he climbed onto the windowsill, his boots already sticking out, and with a grit of his teeth, he leapt down in a desperate but decisive move.

"Li Yinglong! How dare you abandon me... "

Yuan Fei, pushed down by him, fell to the ground, her regal and gloomy face now flushed red with tears.

Hearing the government officers’ footsteps drawing closer, she too scrambled up, attempting to escape through the window.

But, looking down at the height, her legs involuntarily weakened.

This delay allowed the door behind her to be forcefully kicked open, and the screen crashed down.

"Stay guard outside," came a lazy voice.

Then, to Yuan Fei’s horror, a government officer clad in Jinyi, with dark circles under his eyes, walked in, steadying his sword’s handle.

Shen Juan swept his gaze over the room, glanced at the opened window, and smiled, not pursuing further.

Instead, he closed the door behind him and righted the fallen screen.

Then he pulled up a chair and sat down, speaking in a tone that was just right:

"Shh, quietly now. Your Majesty, you wouldn’t want anyone other than my master to know about your secret rendezvous with the Minister of Public Works, would you?"

Yuan Fei, her identity exposed, was utterly terrified, unable to maintain her customary haughty demeanor.

She slumped by the window, lips quivering:

"Whose men are you?"

Shen Juan spoke softly:

"Lihua Hall, Master Zhao sends his regards."

Zhao Douan... Yuan Fei’s face turned pale.

...

...

In the alley.

Li Yinglong fell to the ground; though his legs were numb, he did have some martial arts background.

Though not a cultivator, a fall from the second floor wasn’t enough to injure him seriously.

He quickly got up, without any hesitation, and ran toward the mouth of the alley.

This alley was the crevice between a teahouse and an inn.

Thus, it was quite narrow, allowing only two people to walk abreast, and the towering buildings on both sides blocked the sunlight, casting large shadows.

Li Yinglong held his breath and hastened but soon saw that the "entrance" to the alley, bright like hope ahead, was suddenly blocked.

A government officer of Lihua Hall, who had been hiding in the darkness, stepped out expressionlessly, blocking the mouth of the alley.

The leader, arrogant in demeanor, casually shouldered a ringed saber, its blade already unsheathed.

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Hou Renmeng raised his head, his eyes disdainful, and sneered:

"Mr. Li, where do you think you’re going?"

The Imperial Court... Li Yinglong didn’t recognize this senior officer of Lihua Hall, but recognized the Jinyi uniform and his face paled.

He turned to run in the other direction but desperately saw that the other end was also blocked by government officers in Jinyi.

Leading them was a short officer, nearing the age of retirement, yet possessing the fierce intensity of an old wolf.

Zheng Laojiu smiled and said:

"Vice Minister Li, sorry, but this path is blocked."

Li Yinglong halted, fell silent for a moment, then slowly straightened up, regaining his composure even in this hopeless situation.

Without any superfluous words, he said:

"Mere government officers, since you recognize this official, step aside. Are you trying to defy your superiors? Believe it or not, with just a word, I could have you banished to Lingnan to farm lychees."

Zheng Laojiu dug at his ear with his little finger:

"What did the official say? I’m old, my ears aren’t good, I didn’t hear clearly."

Li Yinglong, expressionless, turned towards Hou Renmeng, trying to persuade him:

"Why wager your life for such a meager salary?"

Hou Renmeng’s response was remarkably concise and forceful, his hand suddenly slashing through the air with his saber.

"Sst-sst—"

Where the sword energy passed, fierce scars appeared on the walls on either side, accompanied by the peeling of the wall.

His coronet was blown off, and his hair, disheveled, lifted towards the back of his head.

Li Yinglong stood frozen in place.

With wolves behind and tigers before, no path to heaven above, nor gate to hell below.

Young Master stood woodenly in the alley, under a tiny strip of sky, where dark clouds gathered.

"Are you sent by Ma Yan, or..."

Li Yinglong finally abandoned all illusions, closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he only asked this question.

"Lord doesn’t have the time to trouble himself with finding you, and yes, it’s me."

A voice arrived belatedly.

Hou Renmeng stepped aside, each of the Lihua Hall government officers stepping aside tacitly, forming a narrow passage that admitted only one person.

Dressed in splendid attire, the handsome Zhao Douan was picking his teeth, strolling leisurely, as if walking in a garden.

Behind him, Dong Da, with a solemn face, followed closely, while Jin Jian had long since disappeared.

As Zhao Douan approached, he smiled and looked towards the "Young Master," bowing lightly:

"Vice Minister, do you still remember me?"

Li Yinglong, dizzy and dazed, squeezed out three words through clenched teeth:

"Zhao! Dou! An!"