The Empress's No.1 Lackey
Chapter 681 - 456. Continuous assassinations_2

Chapter 681: 456. Continuous assassinations_2

"Then do you still dare to taste? Oh, you’re skilled in poisons, immune to all of them, so it’s alright..." Zhao Douan calmly instructed: "Go and investigate, but keep it quiet."

Tang Jinzhong and Song Jinxi stood up in unison, heading towards the kitchen. Shortly they returned, calmly stating: "As soon as we entered, the person swallowed poison and died."

Zhao Douan nodded and said: "Sit down and enjoy the show."

Then he turned his head, looking at Governor Ning who sat stiffly beside him, and smiled: "Governor, what’s the matter? Eat, don’t worry, every dish we have is inspected by palace poison experts."

Governor Ning stared blankly at Zhao Douan’s calm demeanor, who showed no sign of disturbance despite the assassination attempt. He also glanced at the surrounding guards, including Eunuch Hai, Bodhisattva Bodhi, and others, who appeared indifferent, feeling a strong sense of unreality: "Lord, if I’ve heard correctly, someone just tried to poison you."

"Yes, didn’t I say this would happen soon? The assassination attempt on me." Zhao Douan appeared unfazed.

Governor Ning opened his mouth, suddenly looking at the youngest and most innocent-looking Qian Kerou at the table: "Aren’t any of you surprised?"

The round-faced little secretary glanced at him and confidently spoke: "Whenever my lord goes out, doesn’t he encounter multiple assassination attempts? Even in the Capital, it occasionally happens, so why be surprised?"

The others nodded in agreement, as if it were entirely expected.

"..." The Shipping Governor closed his mouth, quietly laying down his chopsticks, deciding not to eat a single bite tonight.

The dance and music under the lights appeared increasingly eerie. Fortunately, this table was the main seat, somewhat distanced from the other celebrities at the banquet in Jing Garden, so to outsiders, it simply seemed like Zhao Douan sent his subordinates out for a moment, with no one knowing that a poisoning just occurred here.

"Bravo..." Zhao Douan lazily clapped loudly, as a performance concluded on the huge deck of a floating flower boat.

At the center of numerous beautiful women in local ensemble, stood a woman in a pale red dress, with fair skin, adorned with gem-studded gold hairpins, her appearance as outstanding as her performance. She was the renowned courtesan of the Jianning Prefecture, said to be untouched by anyone since her debut, with the mere opportunity to meet her soaring to five hundred silver taels just for a last-row ticket.

At this moment, the courtesan known across Jiancheng Road ended her song, gently tossed aside the zither in her hands, and leapt into the water, creating a splash.

Following the splash, the sound of drums began to echo, while Zhao Douan remained seated cross-legged at the center of the pavilion, overlooking the river.

He glanced down, and as the drum sounds faded, the river surface suddenly blossomed into waves, a figure breaking through the water.

At this moment, layers of Qi Mechanisms densely intertwined, blocking everything around, yet Zhao Douan, holding a wine cup with his fingers, simply smiled calmly.

He looked down at the courtesan emerging like a white carp from the water, her clothes nearly concealing her whitened, soft figure. Black hair hung wet, a plump and unlikely-to-bloom rose caught between her red lips, as she raised her head, gripping the pavilion edge with her hands, making eye contact with Zhao Douan who listened from above.

"Don’t be alarmed, just a woman."

Zhao Douan smiled calmly, ignoring the courtesan in the water awaiting rescue, and drank the wine from his cup, inviting the surrounding dozens of city gentlemen to cheer.

The night banquet went late, with guests slowly leaving one by one. Jing Garden had prepared accommodations for Zhao Douan’s entourage to stay overnight.

Governor Ning, mindful of his wife and daughter waiting at the government office, couldn’t indulge in amorous pursuits, and left of his own accord.

"Stay alert, be vigilant."

A drunken Zhao Douan left those words, before turning and staggering, under the wistful gaze of Bodhi, towards the most esteemed room by the riverside of Jing Garden.

He opened the room door and walked into a room adorned with luxury carpets and bright four-cornered lamps. At that moment, the drunkenness vanished from his eyes, showing no signs of intoxication.

He stood with his hands behind his back, waiting for a moment, the room silent except for the sound of candle flames and the water waves outside stirred by the wind.

No... there was also... the sound of breathing.

Zhao Douan stepped towards the bed, seeing a shadow faintly through the hanging drapes, lying on his bedding.

He lifted the drapes, seeing a side-lying figure curved with delicate outlines, the courtesan of famous renown, whose fame would rival in the Capital, lying there wearing only thin muslin, asleep on his bed.

From the bottom to the top were her snow-white lotus feet, round hips, seemingly messy yet orderly cloud-like hair, and beautiful "back bosom" beneath her neck.

Zhao Douan spoke with interest: "Are you an assassin too?"

The lying courtesan’s eyelashes slightly trembled, with her breathing becoming a bit erratic.

Zhao Douan smiled:

"Sexual desires are natural. Knowing I’m surrounded by skilled masters, brute assassination is pointless, so switching tactics to first target food, then using allure... Indeed clever planning and willing to spend, stop pretending to sleep, your breathing rhythm already betrayed you."

The courtesan remained motionless.

Zhao Douan sighed lightly, slowly moving to the bedside, lovingly sitting beside her, speaking:

"Let me guess where you hid the weapon? In your hair, a sharp hairpin, or in your teeth, nestled some deadly poison? Surely it can’t be..."