The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Chapter 994 - 561: Reporting to Your Majesty, Commander Zhao Captures Yongjia Prefecture City Without a Single Casualty

Zhao Douan is here!

On the Gancao Platform, the chest of the Emperor of Great Yu slightly heaved, and the Jade Hand within her sleeve instinctively clenched. She quickly masked the slight anomaly.

Restoring her dignified posture.

But inside, her heart was surging like a tide.

Zhao Douan now assumed a disguised identity; he wouldn’t come to pay respects without a reason.

Furthermore, she was very aware that Zhao Douan had been busy recently on Linfeng Road.

Could it be... that the stratagem of sowing discord has made progress? The second step completed, and the relationship between Zhao Shixiong and Xu Jingtang has further deteriorated? A greater fissure appeared?

No... if it were just a crack, there would be no need to report it; could it be an accident on the frontline? Bad news? Xu Zhenguan’s thoughts were fluctuating, unusually anxious and tense.

Thoughts flashed by chaotically, but none guessed the truth—in her view, how long had it been since the stratagem of discord was last executed? It was impossible that there had been such a huge change.

"Why are you here?" Under the canopy, Ma Yan spoke first, breaking the silence as the Lord of the Imperial Court.

Was it him? That new Master?

A prominent figure in the Capital? Did he really come?

The Secretariat Envoy, Minister of War, and others were surprised, then puzzled as to how this man managed to ascend the Gancao Platform.

Yuann Li and Sun Lianying exchanged complex looks, vaguely sensing that something was about to change.

"Reporting to Lord, I have returned as ordered, bringing the latest urgent military report from Commander Zhao of Taicang Prefecture, to present to the Holy Emperor!"

Zhao Douan saluted with neither humility nor arrogance.

This attitude indicated to those in the know that he did not wish to expose his identity.

"Commander Zhao’s military report?"

Upon hearing these words, the officials at the canopy were enlightened: No wonder this person had been under the radar recently; had he truly left the Capital?

Immediately, their hearts sank heavily!

In everyone’s eyes, the main force of the frontline battlefield was on the Eastern Front, and the task of the Western Front Battle Zone was only to hold territory and constrain the Yunfu Rebel Army. Now Zhao Douan had sent an urgent report back, and even pursued it to the Golden Autumn Gathering, indicating urgency.

This was no trivial matter.

"Could it be that Zhao Shixiong is rushing to aid the Eastern Front?" The Secretariat Envoy abruptly stood up, "Commander Zhao couldn’t constrain him?!"

Upon hearing this, everyone’s heart skipped a beat.

Xue Shence had just won a victory, Prince Jing requested reinforcements, and Mu Prince dispatched troops for support... this was highly likely.

It was also the biggest possibility for Zhao Douan to send back an urgent report at this moment!

The Minister of War’s hand trembled, his eyes filled with worry and panic, seemingly foreseeing bad news, his face turning pale: "Damn! I have been worried before, with just the strength of one unit of the Five Army Camp, it’s difficult to restrain Zhao Shixiong..."

Under the canopy, a repressive and heavy atmosphere pervaded.

Once Zhao Shixiong rushed to the Eastern Front, with the two rebel armies joining forces, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In this oppressive atmosphere, Zhao Douan strangely glanced at these two, shook his head, and said, "Zhao Shixiong didn’t head east, but went south."

Didn’t rush to the Eastern Front? Everyone’s tense hearts relaxed abruptly, thank goodness, the worst situation hadn’t occurred...

Yet after hearing the latter half, they were bewildered again.

Southwards? Could it be a retreat?

What on earth... Xu Zhenguan finally couldn’t help but speak up, hurriedly: "What exactly did Commander Zhao want you to report?"

One by one, eyes converged.

Under his mask, the corner of Zhao Douan’s mouth slightly twitched upward, finally not keeping them in suspense, turning towards the Empress, clasping his fists, his voice resonant and loud: "To inform Your Majesty! The Chaos Suppression Grand Commander Zhao Douan has persuaded the Southwest Border Army Commander Zhao Shixiong to switch allegiance. Zhao Shixiong now flies a new banner and has surrendered to the court! Yongjia Prefecture City was taken without a single casualty!"

Silence.

At this moment, the entire Gancao Platform seemed to have the pause button pressed, plunging into an eerie quiet.

Everyone’s expressions were frozen on their faces, as if digesting this sentence.

Boom boom boom... In the silent atmosphere, Zhao Douan seemed to hear his own heartbeat, as he somewhat puzzledly turned his head, tentatively saying: "Your Majesty? I have concluded my report."

With this sentence, the dead silent atmosphere suddenly shattered!

Whoa!

The wind resumed its flow.

All the civil and military officials present had their minds "buzz" from being overwhelmed by this result.

Zhao Shixiong... has surrendered...?!

Successfully persuaded... by Zhao Douan?

The most difficult stronghold in the Western Front Battle Zone, Yongjia City, even Xue Shence avoided its sharp edge, preferring to turn to fight the Eastern Front than engage head-on with Yongjia City... was taken by Zhao Douan discreetly, without expending a single soldier or casualty?

Sitting behind the bright yellow table, the Emperor of Great Yu was momentarily stunned, with her exquisite face slightly parted lips, showing pearly teeth, and elongated phoenix eyes appearing bewildered.

As the only person present who knew of Zhao Douan’s stratagem of discord, she thought she could calmly face any outcome.

However, upon hearing Zhao Douan’s report in person, the Empress still experienced a fleeting disorientation!

Real or fake?

With Zhao Douan before her, it couldn’t be false.

But... what on earth happened?

Could such a small act of discordachieve this result? And so quickly?

It has only been a month since the last infiltration of Yongjia City, right?

She didn’t understand!

"You... say it again, explain it clearly!" Xu Zhenguan stood up slightly out of composure, both hands supporting the bright yellow table, leaning slightly forward.

"As you command," Zhao Douan reassuredly began a concise explanation of the general process.

In a public setting, naturally, he couldn’t reveal all specific details.

So, in his narrative, many key steps were omitted, only stating Zhao Douan previously infiltrated Yongjia City alone, with slight tricks causing Xu Jingtang to suspect Zhao Shixiong, intending to gain power by threatening Zhao Shixiong’s family, while Zhao Douan sent people to rescue them, and learned Zhao Shixiong’s betrayal to the court was due to deception.