The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 264 - 232, New Official Takes Office

Zhao Douan breathed in the cool air and walked into the dining hall with a joyful mood.

The dining hall in the Zhao family’s new residence was quite large and more grandiose. When he arrived, he saw that each bowl on the table was covered with a larger bowl,

to keep the heat in since the weather was turning cooler.

His plump and beautiful stepmother and his charming and refined stepsister sat quietly by the table, waiting.

Perhaps, when good things happen, it lifts the spirit.

During these days, not just him, but even the womenfolk of the household had become more radiant, with a healthy glow.

Seeing him approach, and especially noting the official robe he wore, their eyes lit up, and they greeted him with bright smiles,

"Da Lang is here."

"Big Brother, please sit. Today, you went to court. Mother specifically instructed the cook to prepare this for you."

"Mm," Zhao Douan nodded casually, sat at the head of the table in his usual confident manner, and lifted the bowl in front of him.

He then furrowed his brows, "Shark fin again..."

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He had a troubled look, feeling as if the taste of shark fin was coming back up in his throat.

Due to his promotion, among the gifts he received, a large portion consisted of rare delicacies, particularly bird’s nest and shark fin.

Considering that they would spoil if left for too long, plus the need to host a banquet,

Zhao Douan had been dining on shark fin and bird’s nest every meal recently and was a bit nauseated by it.

You Jinhua, with soft eyes, dressed in even more Capital-like grandeur of a noblewoman but with an unchanged nature,

saw his displeasure and quickly stood up. She personally walked over, took away the bowl, and replaced it with another one, saying,

"If Da Lang doesn’t like it, try something else."

Zhao Douan lifted the new bowl and furrowed his brows again,

"How come it’s ginseng soup again? Didn’t I just drink it last night?"

"Last night was ninety-year-old ginseng. This morning’s is one hundred and fifty years old," Zhao Pan explained softly on the side.

Zhao Douan shook his head and handed it to his sister,

"You drink it."

He then lifted another bowl,

Sea cucumber soup.

And another,

Deer antler water.

Once more,

Goji berries...

Again.

Well, this time it was ginseng and deer antler stewed with goji berries...

Zhao Douan frowned as he opened bowl after bowl on the table, suddenly pausing with a confused look,

"What is this..."

You Jinhua blushed, hurriedly took it away, and said,

"Wrong bowl, this is my Angelica blood-replenishing soup."

Angelica adjusts the blood, it’s a woman’s tonic, longing for the husband’s return, hence the name "Angelica"...

No, people drink this to conceive or treat menstrual disorders... Zhao Douan kept a straight face,

"Is Auntie’s health not well recently?"

You Jinhua looked embarrassed, too shy to discuss this topic with her stepson.

Zhao Pan on the side, keeping calm and sipping ginseng soup with her little finger out, said lightly,

"Too many tonics were gifted. Mother thought they might spoil if kept too long, so she instructed the cook to prepare them for consumption. After all, nourishing oneself is always beneficial. Yes, Mother thinks you should replenish as well, since you’ll be going to the military camp and might get tired."

"Were there many tonic gifts?"

Zhao Douan was startled, not paying attention to these minor matters.

Checking the gifts was left to his stepmother.

However, why were these officials all competing to give tonic gifts, each more potent than the other? I don’t need them...

Zhao Douan met the two women’s odd gazes and suddenly fell silent.

Do they all think that, being the Empress’s gigolo, I am weak?

Zhao Douan was speechless and choked with emotion.

Heaven pity him; he had barely held Zhenbao’s hand twice...

He got up and left.

"Da Lang, aren’t you eating?" his stepmother tried to persuade him.

"Not eating!" Zhao Douan walked out with a blackened face.

Some might be weak and can’t handle nourishment, while he was overly nourished with no place to vent.

...

...

Exiting the residence, he happened to see a horse-drawn carriage arriving slowly.

Today, the one driving wasn’t the coachman Little Wang, but the rebellious Hou Renmeng, one of Lihua Hall’s four investigators.

At this moment, the defiant old Hou held a whip and reins, calling out to the master.

Inside the carriage, the apple-faced secretary Qian Kerou peeked out with a smile,

"Master!"

"Mm." Zhao Douan ducked into the carriage, giving an address.

"Huh, not going directly to the Divine Mechanism Camp?" Qian Kerou was curious.

Today marked his appointment at the Capital Camp. Zhao Douan, considering his unfamiliarity with the place, had called upon these two temporarily.

He left Shen Juan and Zheng Laojiu at home, seeing as Lihua Hall’s yearly KPI was complete, leaving them idle.

Qian Kerou and the other were quite curious about the Divine Mechanism Camp, which was also part of the imperial guard.

"No, we are meeting an acquaintance," Zhao Douan smiled.

...

When the carriage reached the meeting spot and waited a while, a familiar carriage finally appeared belatedly.

Zhao Douan entered the new carriage directly, letting Hou Renmeng follow behind, and the two carriages headed for the Capital Camp in South City.

"Mo Zhaorong, it’s you again seeing me off to my post."

Zhao Douan grinned and sat familiarly opposite the ice block in the carriage.

The "female chancellor," who wore a high hat without wings and exuded a neutral beauty, had her eyes closed but now opened them and rolled her eyes,

"If you want someone else, I’d be more than happy."

Zhao Douan chuckled,

"How could that be, having the first female official see me to my post is something every official dreams of. Plus, right now, I’ve stuffed myself with so much nourishment, I need an ice block to cool down."

Absurd talk... Mo Chou knitted her brows, not understanding what he was saying.

However, it certainly wasn’t anything good... she sighed softly.

In all their long-standing competitions, she had never gained the upper hand against this scoundrel.

Though they were "rivals in love," leading her to find Zhao Douan constantly disagreeable, she couldn’t help but admit he was a reliable colleague.

Too lazy to quarrel, Mo Chou handed him some documents,

"By rights, I’m not that free to come see you each time.

This time, it was under His Majesty’s orders. The Capital Camp is unlike any other place...

Do not think that because you have served as a guard in the Imperial Palace and entered the Imperial Court, you understand the military officials.

In fact, the real military is different from palace guards, far different from government officers."

Zhao Douan took the documents and his expression turned serious,

"I’d love to hear more."

Mo Chou did not speak directly but asked,

"How much do you know about the Divine Mechanism Camp where you are headed?"

Zhao Douan candidly replied,

"Only the broad strokes, like how the Capital Camp garrisons outside the city to protect the Capital, under the joint jurisdiction of the Privy Council and the Ministry of War.

Yes, it should be Xue Shence’s domain?

The Divine Mechanism Camp is one of the three major camps, led by a Commander named Shi Meng, and I’ll be his deputy, trying to uncover the traitors collaborating with Prince Jing Mansion."

Mo Chou nodded and then shook her head,

"You’re not entirely wrong, but you might not know there’s another force in the Divine Mechanism Camp besides Shi Meng, or to be precise, another person."

"Who? What rank?" Zhao Douan was curious.

Mo Chou shook her head again,

"His rank is low, only considered mid to low-level, and your previous foe, Zhang Changji, is under his command. However, what’s truly troubling about this person is his identity."

Zhao Douan had an odd expression,

"It wouldn’t be some dissolute playboy again, would it?"

Mo Chou shook her head,

"Not a playboy, on the contrary, he’s talented, proficient in military affairs and martial arts, and well-regarded among mid to low-level officers. He’s likely to be a future leader...

But that’s not important. What I must warn you about is his father, the current Duke Tang Daren, the foremost Commander of the border army at the gateway to the Western Regions, akin to Zhao Shixiong. And this person is..."

Zhao Douan lowered his gaze to the name on the documents in his hand, hearing Mo Chou’s voice in his ear,

"Young Master, Tang Ping!"