Chapter 1558: Lying in the Crossfire

As he was at a loss for what to do, a chubby little eunuch, who turned out to be Xiao Zhuozi, the Empress's attendant, suddenly ran up to announce that Her Highness wished to summon Master Zu.

Usually, Zu An was wary of the Empress's invitations, but this time he was overjoyed and quickly agreed to follow Xiao Zhuozi.

Fearing that Bi Linglong might try to keep him, Zu An practically dragged Xiao Zhuozi as he hurried away.

When Bi Linglong rushed over upon hearing the news, he was nowhere to be found. Enraged, she swept all the documents from a nearby table onto the floor with a flick of her sleeve.

At that moment, Rong Mo fanned the flames, saying, "This Zu fellow is utterly ungrateful. Has he forgotten who promoted him? He's a turncoat!"

"Shut up!" Bi Linglong snapped, turning abruptly to glare at her. "Slap yourself!"

"Huh?" Rong Mo was stunned. What was wrong with the Crown Princess? She was just helping scold him, but now she was the one in trouble?

***

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhuozi was still dazed even after reaching the Empress's bedchamber. He'd never moved so fast in his life.

"Thank you, Brother Xiao Zhuozi!" Zu An cupped his hands to the eunuch before heading straight into the palace.

Tears welled up in Xiao Zhuozi's eyes. As a low-ranking eunuch, he had been bullied his entire life within the palace walls. Yet, Master Zu, now a marquis, still treated him not as a mere servant, but as a person.

Such a kind person would surely be blessed.

Zu An entered the bedchamber. The Empress was dressed in casual clothes today, which did nothing to conceal her mature figure. As she walked, her body swayed gracefully, her waist and hips moving with a rhythm and charm that no young girl could hope to emulate.

Seeing Zu An, the Empress seemed surprised. "Oh, you arrived so quickly," she remarked.

Having just escaped his "sea of troubles," Zu An was in a much better mood. "What do you mean, Your Highness?" he replied. "With your imperial decree, how could I dare not come?"

"Hmph," the Empress scoffed, completely unconvinced. "I summoned you several times before, and you always made excuses or simply failed to appear."

Clearly, she still harbored a good deal of resentment about that.

Zu An chuckled awkwardly, choosing not to elaborate further. "By the way, Your Highness, why did you summon me suddenly? The political climate is quite tense right now, and my frequent visits here might be inappropriate."

The Empress stretched, her graceful figure fully revealed. "Don't worry," she said. "I've checked over the past couple of days. Zhao Hao's attention is likely focused on dealing with King Qi, so he probably won't have time to be distracted by other matters."

"Then, Your Highness, how do you think things will unfold next?" Zu An seized the opportunity to ask. After all, she was the mother of the nation, and her family was powerful; her perspective on matters was far superior to that of ordinary people.

The Empress gestured for him to sit down and even poured him a cup of tea before speaking. "What developments could there be? King Qi certainly won't leave the capital obediently. Most likely, he'll find some excuse to linger in the capital—perhaps feigning illness—and then plot some kind of disruption."

"You don't seem worried?" Zu An was somewhat surprised by her composure.

"What is there to worry about?" The Empress looked toward the Imperial Study, her expression incredibly complex. "Although I have my grievances with that man over certain matters, I must admit he is the strongest in the world and has never been defeated." Zu An's expression turned odd, thinking to himself that the man had, in fact, been defeated once in the Xiquanqiu Secret Realm. Of course, he couldn't voice that thought.

"Actually, that's not quite right," the Empress suddenly giggled. "In certain aspects, he was indeed defeated by you."

Zu An's heart quickened. Mature women truly were proactive and passionate, a stark contrast to the shyness of young girls.

He was reminded of the married women in his past life's office who could make men blush with their suggestive jokes.

Noticing his odd gaze, the Empress winked playfully. "Don't worry," she purred. "I didn't call you here to 'consume' you this time. I haven't even finished refining what you left inside me last time."

Zu An was speechless.

"Then, Your Highness, what was the reason for summoning me?"

"I hear your little wife has arrived in the capital? Why don't you bring her into the palace for me to see?" the Empress asked curiously. "I've heard many rumors these past two days, all praising her as if she were a fairy. I want to see how much she has grown."

Cold sweat broke out on Zu An's brow. "I think it's better not to," he stammered. "It wouldn't be very convenient."

What a ridiculous idea! People usually went to great lengths to avoid their concubines clashing and creating a chaotic scene. He'd have to be out of his mind to agree.

"What, are you afraid I'll reveal our relationship to her? Don't worry, I'm not that foolish. If you're unwilling, then so be it." The Empress didn't press the matter. "Then tell me about your relationship. When did you two get together? When was your first time in bed? Can her delicate body endure your beastly ministrations? Even I sometimes struggle..."

Zu An was again speechless.

After finally managing to leave the Empress's presence, Zu An dared not return to the East Palace. He hurried out of the palace, deciding to wait a few days for Bi Linglong's anger to subside before showing his face there again.

He had originally intended to rush home, but then he noticed many people nearby glancing in a particular direction.

A thought struck him, and he followed their gaze, discovering a graceful figure in an ice-blue gown standing beneath a tree. It was none other than Chu Chuyan!

He rushed over in surprise. "Chuyan, weren't you cultivating at home?" he asked.

Chu Chuyan looked at him, a faint smile gracing her lips. "I don't know why," she began, "but it used to be so easy to enter a meditative state when cultivating at the sect. Now, however, my mind struggles to settle. So, I came to wait outside the palace, hoping to see you sooner."

Hearing her usually reserved tone filled with such tender affection, Zu An laughed heartily, took her hand, and strode away, leaving behind a crowd of envious, jealous, and even hateful gazes.

Meanwhile, in the East Palace, the Crown Princess sat alone in her room. On her table lay a mirror, which clearly displayed the image of Zu An and Chu Chuyan walking hand-in-hand.

Special magical arrays surrounded the imperial palace, normally used to monitor the surroundings. Given Bi Linglong's status, obtaining access to them was not difficult.

Upon seeing Chu Chuyan's ethereal beauty, Bi Linglong was momentarily lost in thought, realizing why that man had been so eager to leave.

What truly disturbed her, however, was the intimate scene between them. It was everything she had ever longed for, yet she knew that given her status, she could probably never openly display affection with Zu An like an ordinary couple on the street. *Snap!*

She flipped the mirror face down onto the table, her expression unreadable.

***

Meanwhile, Zu An and Chu Chuyan proceeded directly to the Imperial Academy as planned.

Chu Chuyan had been prepared to announce their arrival and wait, but Zu An simply pulled her toward the back mountain. Along the way, the guards didn't stop them; in fact, many nodded in greeting.

Chu Chuyan was somewhat surprised. "Oh, you seem to be quite popular here," she remarked.

She had visited the capital once before and knew how exclusive the Imperial Academy was, especially its back mountain, which was practically a forbidden zone. For uninvited outsiders, gaining entry there was incredibly difficult, if not impossible.

"Naturally," Zu An chuckled, "your husband is simply charming."

Chu Chuyan was about to playfully retort, but then she remembered the constant string of romantic entanglements surrounding him, and couldn't help but frown slightly.

Just then, the sound of clashing weapons suddenly reached them from ahead. Both were surprised; how could anyone be fighting in such a serene place as the academy's back mountain?

As they drew closer, they saw that the combatants were two beautiful young women. They didn't appear to be sparring; instead, they were engaged in a fierce, life-or-death struggle, even hurling insults at each other intermittently.

From what they could gather, it seemed two women had simultaneously fallen in love with the same man—a handsome and highly cultivated individual, described as the most perfect man in the world. They were calling each other shameless hussies for seducing their man, lamenting that they hadn't seen their beloved in a long time...

Chu Chuyan looked thoughtfully at Zu An. Given his apparent familiarity with the academy, it was clear he frequented this place.

Zu An immediately broke into a cold sweat. "I had nothing to do with this!" he quickly protested.

Just then, the two young women's fight escalated. They unleashed their ultimate moves, aiming for each other's vital points. Their cultivation levels were evenly matched, and it appeared they were headed for a mutual destruction.

Chu Chuyan tapped her foot, then flicked her sleeve, knocking both their swords to the ground. "For the sake of a mere man," she said, "why go to such trouble, ladies?"

The two women were stunned by her cultivation, but upon hearing her words, they couldn't resist pointing at Zu An, who was not far away. "It's easy for you to say," they retorted. "But if someone tried to steal *your* man, would you simply hand him over?"

Chu Chuyan paused, a multitude of names flashing through her mind: Qiu Honglei, Zheng Dan, Qiao Xueying...

For a moment, a whirlwind of emotions churned within her.

Zu An inwardly cursed the situation and quickly stepped forward. "Ladies, please don't be angry," he said. "From what I just heard, it seems you haven't seen your beloved in a long time. Instead of fighting to the death, why don't you sit down and talk it over? Tell me who wronged you, and I'll help you find that scoundrel and settle the score?"

"Bah! *You're* the scoundrel!" both girls exclaimed in unison, raising their swords and lunging at him. "How dare you insult our Brother Xiu!"

Zu An was utterly bewildered.