The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 371 - 315, Telling Stories to Pei Niannu

What an odd quirk… In the Archival Repository, sunlight stabbed through the windowpanes, piercing between rows of bookshelves, and sprinkled onto the scroll in his hands.

"So, this Pei Niannu, is not only a powerful ancient figure from six hundred years ago but also a terrifying fellow who would throw storytellers into small, dark rooms on a whim…"

"To have clashed with the Great Ancestor without a clear victor… hmm, this should document Old Xu before he stepped into the Heavenly Human Realm, but even this military achievement alone is terrifying, his Peak Period, a semblance of the Heavenly Human Realm… Hiss, doesn't that mean he's similar to Zhenbao?"

"Pei Niannu… not well-known, at least I wasn't aware; six hundred years have passed after all, and indeed too many records have been buried in the sands of time. As for Old Xu, why did you draw his portrait? Surely not because you can't stop thinking about him…"

Zhao Douan leaned on the desk inside the Archival Repository, his mind bursting with thoughts.

He closed the book and an idea formed in his heart:

"According to what Ma Yan said, the figures in the Six Chapters Scripture possess a certain spirit and can communicate, so it seems impossible to confront Pei Niannu through force. Instead, why not shift my approach and cater to his interests…"

"As the saying goes, flattery gets you everywhere… with sufficient preparation, there's no important figure you can't win over…"

Path dependency, indeed.

However, mere bits and pieces of records are not quite enough. Zhao Douan strode directly out of the Imperial Palace and headed for the government office, preparing to use the resources at hand to collect information about "Pei Niannu."

To develop a strategy.

…

While Zhao Douan was busy gathering information, the case involving Gao Lian also officially commenced its thorough reexamination.

The direction of public opinion on the streets was merely a microcosm of the tug-of-war among various powers.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, the morning court session reconvened.

On this day, to everyone's surprise, a large group of officials was seen entering the Golden Throne Hall.

Word spread that dozens of officials jointly petitioned on behalf of Gao Lian during the morning session.

They also presented a memorial signed by many officials, the gist being that Governor Gao's reputation was well-established, his magnanimity and integrity witnessed by all.

It was hard to believe that he could have committed those numerous crimes, leading to questions about the authenticity of the evidence.

Moreover, an official from the current court rebuked the evidence and expressed doubts that Zhao Douan, as the imperial envoy, had been deceived. Gao Lian's imprisonment was suspected to be a targeted plot against him.

Strictly speaking, this court session had no actual content, but its political significance was blatantly clear.

Such a massive petition was rarely seen in the court, and undoubtedly behind it was the Jiangnan scholarly family led by Li Yanfu, stirring up the situation.

After the court was dismissed.

A debate erupted within the Imperial College, with students splitting into two factions over the issue of whether "Gao Lian was framed," even leading to a contest of arguments.

Nonetheless, given the abundance of evidence, the majority still believed in his guilt.

However, the emergence of opposing voices in itself sent a subtle signal.

In White Horse Hall, at the rear office.

"Does Li Yanfu really have such skill, to so swiftly persuade so many officials to take a stand?" Zhao Douan, sitting under an almost leafless old tree, asked curiously.

Opposite to him was Supervisor Sun Lianying, his temples graying and eyes deeply sunken.

Due to the cold autumn day, the old eunuch had a knitted blanket over his knees and wore an extra layer of thick clothing. He chuckled and said:

"Li Yanfu has entrenched in the court for many years, naturally amassing substantial influence. But after several setbacks, his prestige has also taken hits. His swift reaction this time is not solely his doing.

Did you know, yesterday, the Gao family from Jiangnan and their first wife's family joined forces and arrived in the Capital. In just one day, they visited over thirty households."

People from the scholarly families in the south are here?

How did I not know about this… Zhao Douan was taken aback, then scratched his head, realizing he hadn't paid any attention to this matter at all. It's all right then.

He said with a grin, "You're spending your leisurely days here at White Horse Hall, yet your information is even more up-to-date than mine."

The Old Director glanced at him and let out a "heh," saying dismissively:

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"When you've been in a place for a long time, you naturally get to know more people."

Zhao Douan agreed wholeheartedly and passed over a few neatly wiped winter jujubes, chuckling:

"So, are you saying that what happened at this morning's court session is the scholarly families showing their power?"

The Old Director nodded and settled back into his chair.

The autumn sky was high and the clouds are few, and the sky above the Capital was especially clear, with only a few thin wisps floating at great heights.

"This is just the beginning. The many powers within the court are intertwined. This world has always been controlled and divvied up by various scholarly families, with the Royal family being merely the largest among them.

In the past, these southern centuries-old families kept a low profile, largely out of fear of the court. Once people fear the court, they seek ways to build relationships and infiltrate…

But fear doesn't mean one should just take a beating. You, my boy, have indeed been taking actions against scholarly families too frequently over the past half year," the Old Director sighed.

Zhao Douan looked aggrieved:

"How do I have such power? If you say it's too frequent, it's because there isn't enough time."

Even a cornered rabbit will bite; more so with centuries-old family clans.

Zhao Douan understood all too well.

Whether the Empress was consolidating control over the court or implementing new policies, the best and most stable approach would obviously be to "boil the frog in warm water."

But with the Eight Princes eyeing covetously and the stealthy remnants of the Second Prince, would they leave enough time to heat the water?

If stability was the sole aim, even if it was clear that Gao Lian was the mastermind, one should pretend to be oblivious and first stabilize the southern scholarly family conglomerate.

But in the end, the Empress decided to take the risk, leveraging the authority she had built over the past six months, starting with a crackdown on the Linfeng official circles.

"Just as long as Gao Lian was successfully killed, the scholarly families greatly defeated, their morale plummeted, the resistance to the new policies would also decrease..." Of course, in Zhao Duan's view, this maneuver was somewhat like dancing on the edge of a knife.

Either it would leave the scholarly families completely disheartened and resigned to their fate, or it would incite rebellion. Of course, the most likely possibility was that all sorts of opinions would emerge.

Different factions with different intentions would spring up within.

Just as Zhao Duan knew, the Empress had deliberately attracted a segment of the scholarly families with the new policy of "opening up the market."

Using "opening up the market" as a tempting bait, she aimed to split the entire block of scholarly families, co-opting some and suppressing others... All of these were strategies that Zhao Duan, with his experience, could discern from the actions and edicts of the court, even though they were not explicitly stated.

So, it was not that Zhenbao was simply eliminating obstacles.

While dealing with Gao Lian, he was also quietly offering sweet dates to other major clans.

"Just eat a few, I'm old and can't handle too much sweetness," the Old Director said as he only took a few winter dates and spoke faintly:

"In any case, just watch, in the coming days, the amount of lobbying by southern scholarly families toward influential figures in the Capital will only increase, not decrease. Today's move by the Li Party is just a signal; the real counterattack hasn't even started yet."

Zhao Duan chewed on the dates heartily, "Anyway, it has nothing to do with me."

At this time, a messenger came looking for the Old Director, who rose to deal with official business.

Leaving Zhao Duan alone in the courtyard, drinking wine with dates.

He closed his eyes, the tip of his tongue pressing against his palate, circulating his breathing in and out.

Though seated, he entered a state of meditation akin to a Buddhist Arhat.

...

In a trance, Zhao Duan once again entered the "Six Chapters Scripture."

He appeared in a deserted wilderness.

Looking up, the sky was still dim, the surrounding woods sparse.

He looked ahead and saw the same dilapidated temple as before.

"...does this count as a respawn point?"

Zhao Duan sarcastically remarked, straightened his clothes, and cheerfully headed towards the ancient temple for the second time.

Pei Niannu had not left much behind, but he had still found some ancient texts that verified the authenticity of the records.

Also, from the descriptions in these ancient writings, he acquired a more detailed understanding of the reading preferences of this "number one female sorcerer (anciently called Alchemist)."

For instance, Pei Niannu, as a towering figure who once dominated the Jianghu six hundred years ago, did not like romances, finding them "petty and childish."

Nor did she enjoy stories of achieving great feats or rising to positions of power, considering "fame and fortune to be fleeting, all just worldly concerns."

Her favorite stories were always those of immortals and supernatural mysteries, said to stem from her childhood yearnings to become an immortal.

Even after she herself became a top-tier expert, her enthusiasm for such stories remained as strong as ever.

"Just a fan of fantasy and cultivation novels, huh…"

Zhao Duan muttered, already approaching the temple's decrepit steps.

He took a deep breath; knowing he couldn't win by fighting, success or failure would come down to this moment.

The next second, Zhao Duan's energy settled into his abdominal core as he loudly recited:

"A common village boy, by chance, enters a local Jianghu sect and becomes a named disciple. With this status, how does he establish himself within the sect? How does he, with mediocre talents, earn a place among the cultivators and ultimately stand proud across the three realms? Let's listen to the first chapter of 'Ordinary People Cultivation.'"

"Han Li opened his eyes wide, looking straight at the thatch and mud ceiling, covered in an old cotton blanket that had turned a deep yellow. Its original look was indistinguishable, and it faintly emitted a mildewy smell..."

Zhao Duan recited aloud.

At this moment, he was immensely grateful for the habit he had in his previous life of listening to audiobooks during commutes out of boredom…

As he recited, Zhao Duan stepped in and gently pushed open the doors of the temple.

The inside was just as he had seen before, with overgrown weeds, a corner holding a tattered Pill Furnace, and the main hall long abandoned.

His eyes darted around but Pei Niannu was nowhere to be seen.

However, his storytelling did not halt for a second; thanks to last night's silent recitation practice, his delivery was smooth and natural, even if not exuberantly emotive.

And as he walked to the center of the courtyard for the second time, as expected, he once again felt a powerful oppressive force.

Here it comes!

Zhao Duan steeled himself, suppressed his energy, and did not resist. He closed his eyes, standing motionless, immersed in his storytelling...

And the anticipated pain of having his skull cracked open did not come.

There's a chance!

Suppressing his excitement, Zhao Duan continued to narrate:

"...Han Li never imagined that after going out this time, the amount of money he had would become meaningless. Astonishingly, he had embarked on a path to immortality, different from ordinary people, and embarked on his own cultivation journey."

Rustle rustle...

The cold wind brushed through the desolate old temple.

Zhao Duan, with his eyes closed reciting the book, did not know that right in front of him, a bright red bridal gown was hanging motionless from the eaves of the main hall, unaffected by the wind.

Pei Niannu's hands held scales of gold and red that slowly lowered, and from behind the Dark Gold Mask's eye holes, a bizarre gaze emerged.

Gradually, the bride in red, once a first-rate Jianghu sorcerer, slowly sat on the eaves, her skirt hanging down revealing her legs, her embroidered shoes swinging slightly.

Behind the Dark Gold Mask, the malevolent energy slowly dissipated.

"I haven't heard this story before."