The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Mr. Wen was forcibly spun around a full one hundred and eighty degrees, darkness flashed before his eyes, his right cheek swelled up high, and with a thud, he fell to the ground, then promptly knelt and pleaded for mercy.

"Spare me, my lord... spare me..."

Shen Juan silently added a kick, pushing him back to the ground with a flop.

Disguised, Zhao Douan's exquisite boots stepped into the filthy snow of the alley, while the maid dressed as Qian Kerou squatted down, checked the little girl's injuries, breathed a sigh of relief, and nodded towards her master:

"She's not seriously harmed."

Zhao Douan, expressionless, grunted an acknowledgment and said, "You all may go."

At this moment, a crowd of poverty-stricken commoners huddled on the ground finally snapped out of their trance, bowing their heads repeatedly:

"Thank you, young master!"

Afterward, not daring to linger, they quickly picked up their own winnowing baskets and fled as if running for their lives.

Qian Kerou squatted down and, with two of her colleagues, helped the little girl gather the scattered coal.

All of this happened in a flash; by the time Zhao Douan turned around with a cold face, he saw Princess Wen Zhu slowly approaching with several Western Regions warriors.

At first sight, there was a slight astonishment!

Zhao Douan had thought that a princess in her forties, and from the Western Regions no less, would surely have aged early.

But the Princess Wen Zhu before him was much better looking than expected, gentle yet dignified, despite her skin being indeed not as delicate as the noblewomen of the Capital, somewhat rough.

Yet, it was the sort of religious air about her, almost like that of a "Holy Daughter," a "Holy Mother," combined with the Exotic Realm charm she had taken on from her long stay in the Western Regions, that gave her an air of nobility that the noblewomen of the Capital couldn't match.

If compared with her peer, Princess Yunyang,

Princess Yunyang was purely well-preserved, with light traces of time.

Princess Wen Zhu, however, had transformed her age into a unique charm that reminded one of mare's milk or the butter tea of the Western Regions.

At the same time, Princess Wen Zhu was also curiously sizing up the unfamiliar young lord before her.

His appearance was only average, and one could see that he came from a well-to-do family, but his every move was drastically different from those pampered scions of power or the sons of wealthy merchants.

He had the gentleness of a scholar and yet, in every move, there was a decisiveness that revealed a brilliant and fierce spirit.

More importantly, it was that indescribable aura of a superior, cultivated over a long time holding power.

"We are merchants from out of town who have come to provide relief to the commoners. Hearing the commotion, we came to see."

Princess Wen Zhu spoke softly with a smile, signaling her guards to stand down before she volunteered her identity.

Zhao Douan blinked, then also clasped his hands together and introduced himself:

"My surname is Lin, with a single name, Ke. A Capital city resident, passing by, I heard cries for help and came over."

"Mr. Lin has shown great valor in lending a hand; it truly shows that there are many heroes in the Capital," Princess Wen Zhu said with a gracious smile.

She was never one to put on airs, and having spent a long time in the Western Regions, she did not take much liking to the scholars of the Capital, but instead, she quite admired the chivalrous spirit of the young Mr. Lin before her.

Moreover, if not for this Mr. Lin, she might be a princess, but for Western Regions people to take action in the Capital, it could be somewhat troublesome if people with ill intentions took note.

Zhao Douan felt a sense of peculiarity in his heart, as this encounter was greatly different from the scene he had envisioned when meeting the aunt of Zhenbao.

Mostly, he hadn't expected to encounter such an incident... it seemed a fortuitous opportunity.

"Madam flatters me, your benevolent intentions are indeed rare. Yet, these ruffians have marred the reputation of our Great Yu Capital with their behavior, which is truly detestable," Zhao Douan said righteously, assuming the image of a chivalrous young lord.

Then, shifting his tone, he continued earnestly:

"However, as much as I appreciate the kind heart, I must express that distributing coal in the street like this is improper. Charity should not be carried out in this manner."