The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 163 - 143. Zhao Douan: Mr. Zhou, we meet again.

"Arrest?"

In the Lihua Hall, four subordinates were simultaneously stunned, but they said nothing more, just turned to make preparations.

Only Zhao Douan remained standing in the courtyard, looking up at the dense pear trees, thinking, since the plan couldn’t keep up with the changes, he had to switch to another method.

"Heh, want to use Wang Shan against me? Then let’s see if you have what it takes."

...

At dawn, when the sun rose high, the entire Capital became lively and bustling once again.

For taverns, however, morning was often the quietest time of the day.

Yet, early today, Hele Building, located on the southern bank of the Hun River in the South City, welcomed the exclusive patronage of a significant figure.

Dressed in a red scarlet official robe, wearing a black gauze cap, and with deep "river" shaped lines between his brows, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice sat alone at a square table on the second floor.

His hands were folded in front of him, appreciating the view of the river outside the window, while his right hand caressed a pigeon-egg-sized piece of fiery red precious jade on his left finger.

Moments later, heavy footsteps approached from the stairs, and Zhou Cheng, with his hair and beard slightly white, turned his head to see a chubby figure approaching, his expression indifferent.

"Commander Wang, long time no see."

Ascending the stairs was the forty-year-old man whom Zhao Douan saw through the magic artifact’s mirror.

With a bloated figure, resembling someone with albinism, having only a few strands of beard on his chin, and slightly reddened eyes, Wang Shan immediately produced a bright smile on his face.

He took a few steps forward and sighed:

"Master Zhou, you flatter me. What commander? I am now but a commoner, hardly deserving an invitation from the esteemed Master Zhou to a banquet."

Although he said this, there wasn’t the slightest fear or trembling that a common man might feel when confronting a Third-Rank Official.

Zhou Cheng seemed to smile, his emotions slightly complicated.

In the years of the late Emperor, the Chief Eunuch Wang Zhen had immense power, and as Wang Shan was his adopted son, Zhou Cheng had to make efforts to forge connections with him.

But a Xuan Sect Coup changed everything; fortunes shifted.

Looking at the one he had to curry favor with in the past, now bowing and scraping, Zhou Cheng felt a bit proud but mostly sighing at life’s unpredictability.

Subsequently, a slight feeling of reuniting with an old friend arose in his heart.

Waving his hand to invite Wang Shan to sit, Zhou Cheng smiled and pointed at a steamed river fish on the table,

"Ordered it especially for you. I wonder if it’s still to your taste after all these years. I remember your fondness for the fish at Hele Building."

Having once been a loyal hound of the eunuch, now a merchant commoner, Wang Shan was flattered but dared not pick up his chopsticks.

"It’s rare for Mr. Zhou to still remember. But today, you’ve summoned me. I don’t suppose it’s for reminiscing about the old days with a humble commoner like myself."

Though Wang Shan still enjoyed wealth and mixed with the spoiled circles, he knew he was worlds apart from the Minister of the Ministry of Justice before him.

He understood this well, so since the Empress ascended the throne and his adoptive father fell, Wang Shan had never taken the initiative to contact Zhou Cheng, avoiding humiliation.

Barring unexpected events, even though they once shared "intimacy," and lived in the same Capital, they would likely never meet again in this lifetime.

So, when he suddenly received a handwritten invitation from Zhou Cheng yesterday inviting him for a banquet today, Wang Shan was anxious and puzzled.

For several anxious hours, he could only vent his frustration on a concubine to relieve his anxiety.

Today, he arrived at the banquet on time, with a smile on the surface but actually uneasy inside, naturally not in the mood for chit-chat.

Zhou Cheng saw through his thoughts and smiled:

"Alright, let’s be direct. My purpose for inviting you today is for no other reason than a person."

"Who?"

"Zhao Douan," Zhou Cheng said.

"You should know that not long ago, this man offended my government’s office, right? And I’ve heard you have some acquaintance with him."

Wang Shan felt a jolt in his heart, but he laughed:

"Mr. Zhou, you are joking. When Zhao Douan was in power back then, I indeed considered befriending him, but he didn’t appreciate it, so I had no further interaction with him."

Zhou Cheng made a sound:

"Is that really all? I’ve heard that he was once invited to your house, well-received, and even provided with a woman to serve."

Wang Shan cried out in grievance:

"I did invite him to a family banquet, but it was just that once. As for the woman..."

He stopped halfway, his reddened eyes suddenly contracted, faintly realizing the intent of this former lackey of his adoptive father seeking him today.

Zhou Cheng picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of fish, and with the other hand lifted his hanging sleeve, personally placing it into Wang Shan’s bowl.

"What happened with the woman?"

Wang Shan, flattered, glanced at the fish in his bowl and shook his head with a wry smile:

"Speaking of this matter, it’s something I’ll never forget.

"That day, I almost had him drunk, leading him to the bedroom I had prepared in my house, where I had placed one of my favorite concubines for him to enjoy.

"I thought that even if he didn’t make a move, since he was drunk, the concubine’s initiative would suffice, but the result..."

Speaking up to this point, even this son of the power-hungry eunuch’s adopted child, who had seen many storms, showed a ghostly expression.

"The result was that Zhao Douan actually used a belt to tie up the concubine, tossed her aside, and just slept by himself all night.

"The next day, after sobering up, he treated me coldly, even angrily scolding me for trying to harm him, declaring that his heart had room only for the Saint, with heaven and earth as witnesses."

Obviously, Wang Shan remembered this incident vividly.

He couldn’t comprehend how there could be such an exceedingly cautious man in this world who could restrain himself under such circumstances.

Opposite the square table, Zhou Cheng also paused for a moment.

This was somewhat contrary to his expectations.

But he was well-versed in concealing his emotions, with only a quick pause in his action of picking up the dish before continuing as if nothing had happened.

"Oh? How could you be sure he didn’t touch the woman?"

"Naturally, it’s because..." Wang Shan was about to answer.

Yet Zhou Cheng calmly said, "Think carefully before you speak."

Suddenly waking up, Wang Shan glanced at him and changed his words.

"Thank you for the reminder, sir. I indeed never confirmed it, just the concubine’s own words."

Many matters didn’t need to be stated too clearly.

With their tacit understanding from past cooperation, Wang Shan had already guessed Zhou Cheng’s thoughts.

The latter clearly came to seek evidence from him to confront Zhao Douan.

Just like Wang Shan initially, deliberately setting a trap and offering women to Zhao Douan, was to catch hold of his weakness to bind this gigolo favored by the Empress.

Unfortunately, he failed and didn’t have the evidence Zhou Cheng required.

But for the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, accustomed to bending the law and adept at manipulating it, evidence could always spring from nothing.

Of course, fabricating evidence from thin air only worked for small figures and wouldn’t deceive the Empress’s discerning eye.

Thus, Zhou Cheng needed Wang Shan’s cooperation; he required a suitable handle, one that could withstand scrutiny.

Wang Shan was sure; Zhao Douan didn’t touch that concubine.

Not just because of the concubine’s words, but because he examined it himself, and after Zhao Douan left, he personally saw the concubine being tied up like a dumpling.

But outsiders didn’t know.

Figures like Qin Qiu only recalled Zhao Douan’s appearance upon entering and exiting.

As for the multitude of servants, maids, and household staff from the Wang family, as well as those present at the banquet, they could attest that Zhao Douan indeed spent the night at the Wang family.

Only Wang Shan and that concubine knew the truth, making this story ripe for exploitation.

For instance, suggesting the possibility with a different explanation.

After Zhao Douan sobered up, he discovered he had bedded the concubine, but fearing the Empress would find out and his loss of favor, he threatened and frightened the concubine into claiming he hadn’t touched her.

Wang Shan gleaned Zhou Cheng’s intention and chose to cooperate.

Though he didn’t wish to offend Zhao Douan, he had no choice.

"So, a matter concerning a woman’s purity shouldn’t be lightly overlooked," Zhou Cheng said, gripping his chopsticks and lifting a piece of tofu, letting the Hun River’s wind blow over it as it hovered above his porcelain bowl.

"And where is the woman now? I’d like to see her."

He sneered internally, realizing Zhou Cheng intended to use her as a witness to incriminate Zhao.

Wang Shan adopted an awkward expression and whispered:

"After Zhao Douan left that day, I sent her away, and not long after, she died."

The truth was:

Upon realizing the trap had failed and being severely rebuked by Zhao Douan, Wang Shan, enraged, vented all his wrath upon that beautiful concubine.

Afterward, seeing she wouldn’t survive under those conditions, he ordered her disposed of.

Zhou Cheng, his expression calm, chewed the tofu and gently nodded, saying:

"A perfectly good person just died suddenly. I’m afraid someone wanted her silenced. In such life-threatening matters, how can my Ministry of Justice overlook it?"

By implication, even death could be exploited:

That Zhao Douan threatening and frightening the concubine seemed justified, and then fearing she would speak out, he silenced her, perfectly reasonable.

The notion of no witness surviving the event, even if the Empress sent someone to investigate, as long as Wang Shan stuck to his story, the evidence would overwhelmingly disfavor Zhao Douan.

After all, for a ruler, hard evidence wasn’t necessary.

As long as the fabricated lie seemed real enough to sow doubt in the Empress’s mind, that would suffice.

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Simply depriving Zhao Douan of the Empress’s favor, Zhou Cheng figured he would have no further obstacles in crushing this ant that had dared provoke him.

Seeing through this murderous trap, Wang Shan shuddered from head to toe.

A blade could be seen on the battlefield, but the insidious blades of the court were impossible to guard against.

Yet just as deadly, what a ruthless stratagem by Zhou Cheng, what a vicious move.

"Master Zhou sees the truth, it must be Zhao Douan who killed to silence. He truly disregards the law."

Wang Shan was furious, expressing through his actions his willingness to cooperate.

For one, he indeed held some grudges against Zhao Douan. Secondly, he couldn’t bear the consequences of refusing Zhou Cheng.

"Smart..." Zhou Cheng laughed heartily:

"Today I’ve finally understood why you were so favored by Mr. Wang back then. Come, let’s drink."

Wang Shan, smiling, raised his glass, contemplating how to gain benefits from this transaction.

However, just as the two were about to clink glasses in celebratory conspiracy,

Suddenly, the rumbling sound of hooves thundered from outside the tavern!

Accompanied by a series of terrified cries and the sound of clashing blades and weapons, followed by screams of agony.

Both were stunned, simultaneously turning to look at the top of the stairs.

Then, a tall and handsome figure leisurely stepped onto the second floor, followed by a group of fierce Lihua Hall’s Jinyi government officers.

Zhao Douan’s face wore a smile:

"What a lively scene it is. Oh, Mr. Zhou is here too? What a coincidence. We meet again."

...

P.S. The author is quite baffled lately. Despite excluding some passages and streamlining the plot, why did an entire chapter only cover a conspiratorial dialogue between two supporting characters?