The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 1261 - 671: Bringing the Empress Home (Part 2)
Zhao Douan felt the hunger and thirst in his viscera, shook his head, glanced at the sky, and said, "Since that’s the case, I shall return home to rest. In the coming days, I’ll gather my energy and prepare for departure."
The Empress stepped up to follow him, saying lightly, "Let’s go together. I have nothing to do anyway, let’s clear our minds together."
Zhao Douan was taken aback for a moment, "I mean to go home..."
The Empress blinked, and said, "Then what?"
...
...
Zhao Mansion.
The sun completely sank below the horizon, enveloping the Capital in a thin veil of night, lanterns hung high on both sides of the plaque of Zhao’s Mansion.
Zhao Douan raised his hand and knocked on the door, a house servant opened the door: "Who is it..."
Mid-sentence, he couldn’t help but open his eyes wide and said flatteringly, "Sir, you’re back? I’ll report to the madam immediately!"
Zhao Douan felt amused and puzzled, and thought to himself that he hadn’t been gone too long, why did he seem so surprised.
Behind him, Xu Zhenguan, wearing a cloak, walked over with a smile and teased, "Doesn’t Mr. Zhao like this?"
Zhao Douan felt awkward, and after a moment realized the source of his discomfort, he, a servant, had now become a master with the surname Zhao...
"Your Majesty, please no teasing, let’s go inside."
He voluntarily extended his hand, holding the Empress’s hand, and together they crossed the threshold into the courtyard.
Whether in the Emperor’s identity or as a wife, this was undoubtedly against etiquette.
Yet, one of them cared nothing for feudal manners, and the other was the one who set them... so naturally, neither minded.
The two walked hand in hand, soon seeing in the back courtyard You Jinhua and Zhao Paner, mother and daughter, coming out to greet them surrounded by several handmaids holding lanterns.
The faces of the mother and daughter were joyful, because before Zhao Douan left, he left word saying he might travel for a while, not expecting to return so soon, almost as if he hadn’t left at all...
Then, the mother and daughter quickly noticed the person standing next to Zhao Douan and the hands the two were holding.
You Jinhua’s face changed slightly, intuitively said, "Dalang, you went out and brought back a woman? Let go quickly, if others see it and it reaches His Majesty’s ears..."
Zhao Pan’s sharp eyes suddenly grasped her mother’s hand, stiffly lowered her voice to remind, "Mom... stop talking, this is the Empress..."
The child spoke nonsense, the Empress was not in the Capital... You Jinhua was momentarily stunned, and upon closer inspection with the aid of the lantern’s light, was shocked and speechless: "Em... Empress?!"
Xu Zhenguan seemed amused and stared at Zhao Douan, "Mr. Zhao, how many women have you brought home?"
As he spoke, the Empress pinched his hand with two fingers.
"..." Zhao Douan: "This is a misunderstanding, believe it or not?" 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
...
A moment later.
By the pond in Zhao Mansion, Zhao Douan finally explained clearly that it was due to bringing Tuoba Weizhi last time, causing the misunderstanding.
The Empress ignored him, sitting angrily on the bamboo chair by the pond used for cooling down.
At this time, a servant brought a plate of fruit, and said softly: "Sir, the lady and miss are in the kitchen preparing dinner..."
"Got it, go ahead. Don’t let others come over." Zhao Douan took the fruit plate and said.
At this time, the Zhao family had actually finished dinner, but since the Empress visited and Zhao Douan had just returned, naturally a decent table of dishes had to be prepared again.
Hmm... There might also be an element of avoiding embarrassment.
Zhao Douan shamelessly leaned over, "Your Majesty, have some melon."
The Empress watched the rippling water in the pond, reflecting Zhao Douan’s side profile, and smiled slightly, saying, "Fine, I’m not angry. Do you really think I’m such a petty woman?"
Zhao Douan laughed and sat closer to her, saying, "As the saying goes, a Prime Minister can sail a ship in his stomach, and Your Majesty is far above the Prime Minister, I fear your generosity could hold an entire realm."
Xu Zhenguan was familiar with his slick tone, but still puzzled, "A Prime Minister can sail a ship in his stomach? Where’s that saying from?"
Great Yu doesn’t have this saying.
Zhao Douan wanted to explain, but the Empress understood, "Oh, it’s from your world."
Then, the atmosphere inexplicably fell silent.
In the cool night, the pond’s surface reflected the lamp light under the eaves, a man and a woman, a lord and minister, sat by the pond’s bamboo chair, with a "coffee table" in between holding a fruit plate.
It indeed resembled the leisurely air of an ordinary family cooling down.
"Are you nervous?" Xu Zhenguan suddenly focused on the reflections of the two faces in the pond.
"Nervous about what?" Zhao Douan also focused on the two faces in the water.
"Mubei Forest... Behind the Golden Gate, your origins might be hidden..." The Empress said.
Zhao Douan fell silent, then smiled, "Not quite nervous, just a little afraid."
"Afraid? Afraid of what?"
"Afraid that if I am indeed related to Old Xu, our generations will become complicated."
"..." The Empress turned her head, gazing at him with a glimmer in her eyes, "Wasn’t this speculation dismissed before?"
Zhao Douan did not turn his head, sighed softly, "At the last moment, who can be certain."
He himself was a bit uneasy, but after all, he had to face it, then he thought and tentatively said, "Actually, no matter how you count, we should be beyond the fifth relation..."
Beyond the fifth relation, marriage is not affected.
The Empress stared, for a moment wanting to kick the annoying guy into the pond.
But ultimately... couldn’t bear it.
"Let’s discuss serious matters." Xu Zhenguan turned back, continuing to watch the pond’s lamplight.
Zhao Douan frowned, "Actually, within the Martial God Map, I once followed Old Xu... well, the Grand Ancestor Emperor to the edge of Mubei Forest, didn’t enter, but stood at the edge of the snowfield, hmm, I’m not sure others saw what I saw, but at any rate, at that time I sensed something incredibly terrifying in the Mubei Forest, not sure what, just like beasts inhabiting the mountains, mortals sensing that aura would tremble at the knees."
Xu Zhenguan said, "I’ve experienced it too. In fact, the real Mubei Forest to this day remains a forbidden area unable to be accessed, otherwise Zhang Yan Yi wouldn’t go to such lengths to ask for your help?"
Zhao Douan asked puzzledly, "Why can’t it be entered?"
Xu Zhenguan said, "Once approaching Mubei Forest, not only is there an enormous threat, but no matter the Martial Artist or Magician, they’ll face exceedingly strong suppression, that suppression is surely stronger than the Great La Ba, or Sea God, so much so that no one dares to risk it. And of course mortals, even those stationed in the northern parts like Luo kedie, haven’t even crossed the snowfield."
Zhao Douan muttered, "Seems like a level-restricted dungeon..."
"Hm? What did you say?"
"Oh, nothing..."
Zhao Douan pondered for a bit, suddenly asked another question, "You say, the Grand Ancestor Emperor back then... I mean after becoming Emperor, did he return to Mubei Forest? You see, he went to Great Territory, and East Sea, leaving keys in both places, and built two doors. So, since there is a Golden Gate under the Grand Temple leading directly to Mubei Forest, does that mean..."
Xu Zhenguan shook her head, "How would I know? The Grand Ancestor’s notes didn’t mention it, though the court records say the Grand Ancestor Emperor indeed passed suddenly in his late years."
"Suddenly? What do you mean?" Zhao Douan turned to look at her.
Xu Zhenguan explained:
"Although a cultivator’s life is longer than a mortal’s, ultimately it’s not too long, hard to surpass two hundred years in any case. Then, the Grand Ancestor Emperor, after reigning for decades, passed away quite a few years from the life limit, it surprised many.
The prevailing saying is, during his conquests, the Grand Ancestor Emperor fought many strong opponents, leaving many hidden injuries, hence he died relatively early.
This has always been a regret for many, believing that with the Grand Ancestor Emperor’s brilliance, if he lived a few more decades, he might truly break limits and become a Human Immortal.
Then life would again break through, alas no "if". Speaking of which, why did you suddenly ask this?"
Zhao Douan hesitated:
"I was just thinking, since the Grand Ancestor Emperor arranged so many backhands, and let people like Pei Niannu, Tuoba Weizhi live for hundreds of years...
And furthermore, he even mastered the Secret Skill of ’Split Soul’...
Then tell me... is there a possibility, he still...
lives?"
