CHAPTER 842: CHAPTER 508: THE EMPRESS LOSES HER TEMPER

"That’s right," Zhao Douan nodded, organized his thoughts, and said seriously, "This time, my rescue of the rebel army was quite unexpected..."

Immediately, he recounted in the most serious and proper tone possible how he pursued Prince Heng, how the other side kidnapped Xiao Donger, attempted to slander, threaten, and malign him... and he went over the plan he had come up with:

"Although Prince Heng has been captured now, Qingzhou Rode, as his old nest, must still harbor remnants. The court’s military forces are currently focused on more important battlefields. The East Lake Xiao family, being local tyrants, assisting the court to control Qingzhou Rode, is the most ’cost-effective’ plan. Not only that, but it would also have an effect akin to buying a horse’s bones with a lot of gold. At the very least, the other Imperial Merchant families within the Nine Roads and Eighteen Prefectures will also be more inclined towards Your Majesty because of this."

Xu Zhenguan listened quietly but didn’t comment on the pros and cons of this plan. Instead, he suddenly asked, "Prince Heng slandered you, accusing you of having an affair with that widow?"

...!! Zhao Douan’s alarm bells went off, and without hesitation, he swore to the heavens, "Slander! Absolute slander! My devotion to Your Majesty is pure and evident to heaven and earth, let alone a widow..."

Xu Zhenguan said quietly, "So, if it wasn’t a widow, what then?"

Damn it... Zhao Douan changed his tune, "In my eyes, only Your Majesty matters. Other women are nothing but common powder, not worth a glance."

Xu Zhenguan seemed to smile, as if he didn’t care much, and said, "I was just joking. Mr. Zhao’s virtue is well-known throughout the court, and I trust him."

... It feels like you’re implying something... Zhao Douan kept a straight face, his heart in turmoil, carefully watching Zhenbao’s fair and elegant face for a long time, cautiously saying, "Your Majesty... Then..."

Xu Zhenguan thought for a moment and nodded, "This plan of yours is good, but before approving it, I need to meet with Xiao Donger to make a decision."

Phew... I knew it, Zhenbao, you are reasonable. Prince Heng’s baseless slander, which even a three-year-old wouldn’t believe, can’t fool you... Zhao Douan showed a warm smile, "She’s in the team, currently within the Imperial City, guarded by Divine Mechanism Camp soldiers. If Your Majesty wishes to see her, you may summon her."

Xu Zhenguan glanced at him quietly, smiled, and said, "You’ve arranged this quite properly. In that case, have someone bring her here to see me. By the way, you don’t need to stay here; you can catch up with Eunuch Hai and the others."

The implication:

She wants to meet with Xiao Donger alone.

Zhao Douan’s nerves inexplicably tightened, but he thought Mrs. Xiao was sensible and had been briefed beforehand, so he relaxed: "Yes."

After saying that, he got up to bid farewell, walked out of the Imperial Study Room to get the person.

Leaving the Empress sitting alone quietly in the room, playing with a Yulin Brush dyed with vermilion, lost in thought.

After a while,

Outside the study room door, a female official led two imperial guards, escorting a woman who had arrived.

"Your Majesty, the person has been brought."

"You may leave." Xu Zhenguan came back to himself and said lightly.

The palace attendants withdrew, leaving only Mrs. Xiao in a dark-colored mamian skirt, already groomed and dressed on the road, respectfully, with her head down, carefully and breathlessly stepping over the threshold, her knees softly kneeling on the Western Regions woven carpet inside the study room.

"This commoner Xiao Donger, greets Your Majesty!"

Xu Zhenguan, with slender fingers holding a delicate light brown pen, looked down with an imposing presence, "Raise your head."

Xiao Donger quickly complied, cautiously lifting her face.

Her hair was black as ebony, her face was round yet dignified, with outstanding looks. Due to recent hardships, the noble woman’s demeanor seemed more fragile and pitiable.

Despite being a widow, at over thirty years of age, she was at the prime age of maturity for women—neither too soft nor too green.

Especially her figure, curvaceous and full of feminine charm.

When Xiao Donger, kneeling on the ground and looking up, saw the Empress of Yu Country, her heart skipped a beat!

She was intensely captivated!

How could there be such a breathtakingly cold and regal woman in this world?

Xiao Donger herself was already an outstanding beauty, yet at this moment, meeting the Empress’s gaze, she felt a strong sense of inferiority!

"Indeed, as the rumors in the world say, ’Yu Country’s first widow,’ truly her beauty is not ordinary," Xu Zhenguan assessed her for a moment and said indifferently.

Xiao Donger shivered, quickly lowered her gaze, and said in terror, "Your Majesty overpraises, how could a firefly’s posture like mine catch Your Majesty’s eye?"

Xu Zhenguan looked down elegantly, "Junior Guardian Zhao just spoke highly of you to me, even went to great lengths to bring you back to the capital to arrange for you to meet me."

Thunk!

Although Xiao Donger was just a woman, being able to manage a family meant she wasn’t naïve.

Just from this one sentence, she felt uneasy and quickly explained, "Mr. Zhao defeated Prince Heng and rescued me. I am immensely grateful and dare not have any delusions. If I can serve Your Majesty, it would be the fortune of my entire Xiao family!"

Xu Zhenguan’s fingertips rubbed the pen, her bright eyes looking down at her, "Dare not have, still means you have."

Xiao Donger panicked, anxiously defending, "I misspoke, I truly had no such intention..."

Xu Zhenguan suddenly chuckled, her voice flat but the words were earth-shattering, "When you came to the capital seeking an Imperial Merchant quota, in private meetings with Junior Guardian Zhao, it wasn’t like this."

Back then, Mrs. Xiao and Xu Zudi came to the capital together, sneaking out of the city to meet secretly at a private residence named "Cha Rong’s House."

This matter was quite confidential, but later, when her Imperial Merchant status was exposed, Prince Heng’s mansion had tried to investigate this matter.