On the long street, the brief lull in the drizzle was broken as it began to fall once again.
Mr. Zhao Douan's triumphant laughter echoed unrestrained in the air, clearly reaching the ears of every spectator.
At this mont, whether it was the custors inside the teahouse or the commoners huddled under eaves to watch, a deep awe seeped into their expressions.
They were not sure who the person who had intervened was, but based on a certain logical inference, they assud it was one of Mr. Zhao Douan's protectors.
After all... which high-ranking official, or noble scion, does not have beautiful maids and guards by their side?
It was a stereotyped prejudice, of course.
"No wonder... Yama Zhao is so brazen, he really is a figure of authority."
Many people harbored such thoughts, a wave of envy rising in their hearts.
Lv Qingfeng was left speechless, his sowhat pale old face showing a change in expression, but he swallowed the na that was on the tip of his tongue and instead said respectfully:
"Thank you, elder... and Mr. Zhao for your leniency."
Mr. Zhao Douan's smile faded slightly, and he said with a sneer:
"Who said I was being lenient? Do you really think that causing trouble with the soldiers in the Capital is going to just go away? Co, lock up this man, and all these others who have no regard for the law, and take them to the Imperial Prison."
Lv Qingfeng's face changed dramatically, not expecting Yama Zhao to still insist on arresting people after the commotion.
A group of imperial guards eagerly ca over with iron chains in hand, clearly showing a bullying stance.
"Hold on!"
At this point, a clear and cold voice belonging to a young woman, who could no longer contain herself, reluctantly spoke out to interrupt.
She finally made her move... Mr. Zhao Douan's lips slowly curled into a smile as he looked over to the teahouse across the street that was half in ruins.
There, beside a window that was half-open, a young woman with the air of a well-bred lady slowly ca into view.
Her complexion was smooth, her skin porcelain-like, bearing the elegance of a Jiangnan woman. Just standing by the window, she exuded an innate grace and literary poise.
"Ah—such a beautiful lady..."
"Who might this be?"
"Shh, keep your voice down, don't speak ill of those of high status."
The crowd first buzzed with discussions, and then soone beca alert, hastily silencing themselves, fearing that their words might offend a person they should not.
Mr. Zhao Douan's eyes brightened as he looked across the devastated street, facing the young woman, and said in a playful tone:
"Today is really strange, one after another keeps coming. What now, does the young lady also want to pay a visit to the Imperial Court?"
"How dare you! You…"
Beside the window, the maid nad Lv Shui beca agitated.
But Xu Junling, known as a talented young lady of the Royal Mansion, cald her with a look. Facing the situation, she simply smiled a little and with an elevated voice, said:
"I wonder if Mr. Zhao could spare the ti for a detailed conversation?"
Mr. Zhao Douan did not utter a word but simply raised a hand, making a gesture of "the seat is ready for you."
He wants to go over there in person... Xu Junling's eyelashes trembled, but indeed she turned and descended the stairs straight away.
In a short while, she, accompanied only by her maid, erged from the first floor of the teahouse amongst the stares of those around, with the maid holding up a paper umbrella to shelter them from the rain.
This pair of won, both with exceptional appearances and deanors, crossed the damp, cold street heading toward the opposite side.
"...Miss."
As they passed by Lv Qingfeng, the face of the Royal Mansion's guard, who had bragged so confidently just monts ago, was flushed with sha.
Xu Junling, however, simply shook her head, indicating it was alright.
Lv Qingfeng's lips moved slightly, sending a thread of his voice into her ear:
"The old man upstairs, I'm afraid he's the legend from within the palace, Mr. Hai, the number one master."
Xu Junling's step paused for a fraction, her gaze becoming slightly focused.
Then, with her expression unchanged, she stepped into the teahouse and climbed up the wooden stairs under the watchful eyes of the floor attendant and the patrons.
...
On the second floor, the other patrons had already scattered like birds at Mr. Zhao Douan's disclosure of his identity, not wanting to get involved.
Now, only Mr. Zhao Douan and Mr. Hai sat at a table, watching as the two won approached them.
"The daughter of Prince Huaian, Xu Junling, greets Mr. Hai and Lord Zhao," said the cultured and elegant Commandery Princess, taking the initiative to speak.
Eunuch Hai, with white hair and beard, smiled and waved his hand:
"Commandery Princess is too kind to ."
Generally, won of the Imperial Family didn't hold high statuses, being only nominally prestigious, but for one thing, Xu Junling was different from other princesses, effectively representing half the Prince Huaian.
Secondly, since she wasn't married yet, she was in the end considered blood of the Imperial Family of the Xu clan; thus, Mr. Hai, no matter how high his status, was ostensibly a servant to the Royal House.
So, his tone was quite polite.
"Ah, I had no idea that the Commandery Princess was visiting; I failed to recognize you in person earlier and was impolite. I hope the Commandery Princess will not take offense," Lord Zhao said with a "startled" expression, arising as if only at that mont he realized her identity.
"..." Xu Junling's smile stiffened, thinking to herself, could you act any more insincerely?
But she kept a sweet smile on her face: "Lord Zhao, please, there's no need for formalities."
Eunuch Hai glanced at the two, then suddenly smiled and stood up, saying:
"I'll step out to digest a bit. You all talk."
Without waiting for a response, his figure lightly leapt up, as if he were a wisp of green smoke, flying out of the building and vanishing from sight.
You're not... Elder Hai, you... Mr. Zhao Douan's eyelid twitched.
Xu Junling, however, remained composed, directly stepping forward and taking a seat opposite Mr. Zhao Douan in Mr. Hai's place.
The maid holding the paper umbrella didn't go far nor did she approach; she simply stood by the stairway, poised and ready.
"It's quite surprising to find Mr. Zhao and Mr. Hai here," Xu Junling stated calmly.
"Heh, I also did not expect the Commandery Princess to join such a lively scene," Mr. Zhao Douan chuckled, feigning puzzlent:
"That Mr. Lv downstairs…"
"He is a guard from the Mansion," Xu Junling replied, her posture dignified and graceful:
"The Buddhist Tao assembly is drawing near. On a whim, I ca to join the hustle. Fearing that, should a fight break out, it might reflect poorly on the court's na if the soldiers suffered a loss, my guard acted on his own to calm the situation. There was no ill intent. It seems we've caused Lord Zhao amusent."
She offered no cover-up, but instead plainly spun her tale, ah... as if it were just a minor misunderstanding.
Mr. Zhao Douan's eyes glittered as he laughed out loud:
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"So that's how it is. I was wondering when such a grandmaster appeared in the Capital. If I had known it was the Commandery Princess's subordinate from the start, this misunderstanding would never have brewed.
It seems that the two rebels below are detestable, not only disregarding the court's laws but also nearly causing a conflict between this official and the Commandery Princess. Truly hateful...
I'm afraid they calculated it well, knowing that the Commandery Princess was here and deliberately instigating trouble, their hearts deserve condemnation..."
Xu Junling could only manage a forced smile and carefully said:
"People from Jianghu are crude, and not necessarily of complex mind. At tis like these, fewer disputes in the city would be better."
Zhao Douan let out a long "Oh," his gaze carrying a hint of mirth:
"Does the Commandery Princess think so?"
He paused, and just as Xu Junling pursed her lips, about to speak again, he waved his hand with a laugh and said:
"Then perhaps I have overthought it. If it is just the folly of brutes, and with the Commandery Princess's word, let's leave this matter be."
Taking up high and setting down gently...
With one sentence, he effectively demanded a favor from the other party.
His aggressive questioning and repeated detentions were all to draw out the real mastermind behind the scenes.
Now that the Commandery Princess had personally co forward, it gave him face, and Zhao Douan needed to give face back.
During the conversation, he also took the opportunity to observe this renowned Commandery Princess.
Contemplating her intentions.
According to his knowledge, Prince Huaian is one of the "Eight Princes," who wavered the most.
Unlike Prince Jing, who is suspected of harboring troops in secret, Prince Huaian resided in the prosperous and comrcially developed Huai River, surrounded by a stronghold of scholarly families.
The Royal Mansion had many properties and shops under its control, and a significant number of the boats plying the Grand Canal were backed by Prince Huaian.
These ships were earning copper coins for Prince Huaian's purse every mont.
As a result, the Prince naturally exhibited a rchant's aptitude for "hedging bets."
When the Empress first ascended to the throne, Prince Huaian was also among the first to offer congratulations.
"Among the Eight Princes, Prince Huaian has the weakest desire for the throne and is also the most worthwhile to win over."
This was the judgnt Zhao Douan arrived at after reviewing the information.
Due to his rchant's nature, Prince Huaian, caught in the middle, wishing to protect his interests, did not want to betray the alliance of the "Eight Princes," led by Prince Jing.
He also did not want to offend the reigning Empress, fearing retribution.
He even held a neutral stance towards the Kuangfu Society.
Hedging bets on all sides, not wholly loyal to anyone. But because he had a lot of money, to so extent, he could also determine the weights on the scales of power struggle among the various factions.
"Heh, the new policy was just announced, the news of the court opening up markets ca out, other princes have yet to openly react, but Prince Huaian couldn't wait and sent his daughter over..."
"After arriving in the Capital, she's been busy establishing relationships with various factions, likely still collecting information...
This talented Commandery Princess, like Prince Huaian's eyes and ears, ca in person to see the court's changes, to assess the situation, to estimate the odds of the Empress firmly securing her rule..."
"Hmm... If that's the case, then it's not surprising she found , intending to see in person, to understand my depths..."
Zhao Douan laughed heartily.
At the sa ti, myriad thoughts flickered through his mind.
...
So easy to talk to?
Xu Junling's beautiful eyes showed a hint of surprise as she caught Zhao Douan's ambiguous gaze. She lowered her eyes and said:
"Lord Zhao's broad-mindedness is truly fitting for the capable minister that the Imperial Sister values."
The first part of her sentence was a thank you; the latter was a complint, which at the sa ti, seed to hide a touch of sarcasm, albeit very light.
Just as Zhao Douan had guessed, Xu Junling's purpose today was indeed to weigh up this favored minister of the Capital, to discover what he was worth.
What character he was and his style of conduct.
Know thyself, know thy enemy, and you will fight without danger in every battle. On this grand chessboard of the world, to place your pieces accurately, you must have keen eyes.
But how to et and test him was a challenge.
Through her observations over these days, Xu Junling was certain that Zhao Douan was a thorough political enemy of the "Li Party."
And coincidentally, the Huai River was the "Li Party" officials' stronghold.
Most of the officials under Li Yanfu's command were Jiangnan Scholars, backed by many scholarly families from Jiangnan.
Prince Huaian had always maintained good relations with those scholarly families.
This made Xu Junling, standing for her family's interests, naturally inclined towards the "Li Party."
Whatever her approach to contacting Zhao Douan was, every action, every attitude,
Would be observed by "Li Party" officials, the Empress, and even Prince Jing along with the other Seven Kings.
Any signal she emitted could trigger unpredictable chain reactions.
Therefore, after much deliberation, Xu Junling orchestrated the day's events.
According to plan, Lv Qingfeng would intervene at a critical mont in a way that would prompt a eting between the two parties.
This could test Zhao Douan's character, cultivation, and working style all at once, avoid displeasing the "Li Party," prevent misinterpretation from the Seven Kings,
And not seriously offend the Empress...
However, the plan did not go entirely smoothly.
Eunuch Hai's unexpected move threw her entire plan into disarray.
At this mont, after exchanging pleasantries for a while, both were just offering each other courteous, unsubstantial small talk.
After a while, Zhao Douan flipped over an upside-down cup, personally poured the tea, and handed it over, sighing:
"Since the Commandery Princess arrived early, why not et with ?"
Xu Junling smiled and took it with her slender fingers, replying with a smile:
"Lord Zhao has a profound relationship with the Imperial Sister, and I, as her sister, ought to avoid causing suspicion."
This was another probe.
Her lips sipped the tea while watching Zhao Douan's expression, trying to gauge the true nature of his relationship with the Empress.
Zhao Douan, however, did not respond directly, instead casually saying:
"Does the Commandery Princess find the tea to her liking?"
Changing the subject, huh... Xu Junling replied with a faint smile, "Quite sweet."
Zhao Douan looked at her with interest, admiring her sweet visage before suddenly flashing a teasing, wicked smile:
"Yet I wonder, compared to this rough tea, which is sweeter – the tea or the Commandery Princess's own saliva?"
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