Chapter 1564: Lost Step

"What happened?" Hearing the gravity in his tone, Bi Linglong forgot her anger and asked anxiously.

"The Emperor has sent me to Yi Commandery..." He then thoroughly explained the task Zhao Hao had just assigned him.

It was the first time Bi Linglong had heard about this, and her expression subtly changed upon hearing the news.

"You just got back, and he's sending you to Yi Commandery again?" Bi Linglong frowned, appearing quite displeased.

In that instant, a warmth spread through Zu An's heart. Hearing her tone, he finally felt that she truly considered him one of her own.

Bi Linglong's resentment also vanished. Hearing Zu An tell her about his new task without any reservations proved their relationship was truly intimate, and she suddenly felt her anger over the past while had been baseless.

"There's nothing for it, it's my duty," Zu An sighed.

Bi Linglong knew, of course, that this wasn't simply about duty, but because the Emperor was now too powerful, so powerful that they couldn't resist him yet. Thinking of this, she let out a soft sigh: "I'm sorry you have to go through this. Be careful on your journey. I'll wait for your return here."

Hearing her sincere words, Zu An couldn't help but walk over, wrap his arms around her slender waist, and then kiss her amidst her astonished gaze.

Bi Linglong's body trembled, and she instinctively tried to push him away, but he didn't budge. Soon, his familiar scent made her body gradually soften.

They kissed for a while, until Bi Linglong finally caught her breath. She looked at him with a tender reproach: "You're so bold! The Crown Prince is still outside."

"So what?" It was better not to have heard it. As soon as he did, Zu An kissed her again.

Bi Linglong's waist was as pliant as a willow, and her whole body was pressed back, falling onto the desk.

Feeling that familiar pressure, Bi Linglong's face flushed crimson. "If the Emperor finds out, we'll be dead."

She could disregard the foolish Crown Prince, but she couldn't ignore the Emperor. With his Earth Immortal cultivation, once he activated his divine sense, no trace within the entire palace could escape him.

"Don't worry, he doesn't have time for this right now." Zu An's words had a basis; if Zhao Hao constantly monitored the entire palace, he and the Empress would have been long dead and buried.

Bi Linglong, however, was unaware of the intricacies. The Emperor's power left an indelible impression on her, but embraced by her lover, her body went soft, leaving her powerless to resist.

And so, with a mixture of resistance and acquiescence, they once again returned to the most intimate state they had shared in the secret realm.

Fearing discovery by the Emperor, or even the palace maids, servants, and the Crown Prince outside, Bi Linglong was far more sensitive today than usual. Zu An felt this most acutely, as if he were amidst constantly trembling waves. Soon, they reached a state of spiritual and physical union.

Their time together had never been so brief, yet never so wonderful.

After a long embrace, Bi Linglong finally came back to her senses and gently pushed Zu An away. She pulled down her skirt, meticulously smoothing out the wrinkles, her voice thick with sweetness: "You annoying fellow, you always just bully me."

"Are you still angry?" Looking at her endlessly alluring appearance in the afterglow, Zu An's heart was filled with affection.

"Who's angry with you?" Bi Linglong felt a little guilty. Seeing his knowing gaze, she playfully chided, "Alright, alright, it's just that you've only been spending time with Chu Chuyan lately and haven't paid any attention to me."

Zu An didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "She's my wife! After being apart for so long, who else would I spend time with?"

"She clearly shared you, so how is she still your wife?" Bi Linglong said, a little indignant. "Then what am I to you in your heart?"

As soon as she said this, she regretted it a little, then felt a touch of self-pity. She knew that their relationship could probably never be made public, and her heart felt quite heavy.

Just then, Rong Mo's voice came from outside: "Crown Princess, Master Jiang requests an audience."

Clearly, as Bi Linglong's personal maid, she knew it was somewhat inappropriate for the Crown Princess to meet an outsider alone for so long, so she took the opportunity to remind her.

Bi Linglong also realized this. She tidied her clothes again, ensured nothing was amiss, and then said to the outside, "Let Master Jiang come in."

Not long after, a handsome young man walked in. "Greetings, Crown Princess."

He quickly stiffened, realizing that the Crown Princess today was even more alluring than usual. However, he quickly recovered and then bowed to Zu An: "Greetings, Master Zu."

Zu An had an impression of this person: Jiang Gui, the Crown Prince's equerry, was an attendant official to the Crown Prince. On ordinary days, when the Crown Prince traveled, he would ride ahead as an outrider. He was one of the important officials in the Eastern Palace.

In a way, Jiang Gui was also an acquaintance. He was the son of Jiang Shan, Jiang Boyang's third son, and his mother was a granddaughter of the Yu family, making him a relative of Yu Yanluo. Furthermore, Jiang Luofu, being Jiang Boyang's youngest daughter, was Jiang Gui's aunt.

Throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty, besides the Yu family, the Jiang family was renowned for its beauty.

Every son and daughter in the family possessed extraordinary looks. Jiang Gui, combining the merits of both the Jiang and Yu families, had been implicitly hailed as the capital's most handsome man since childhood — a title he lost only when Zu An arrived in the capital.

He was quite indignant about this, feeling that Zu An wasn't much better-looking than him, nor did his cultivation seem significantly superior. His only shortcoming, he believed, was not being born into a prominent family, leading a life that was too smooth sailing, without as many hardships as Zu An, and thus fewer opportunities to prove himself.

Of course, as a son of a noble family, he had his pride and cultivation. Although he was inwardly displeased, it didn't lead him to detest Zu An; rather, a sense of competition arose within him.

However, in Zu An's eyes, whether it was through Yu Yanluo or Jiang Luofu, this fellow was merely of his nephew's generation. How could he be a competitor?

He smiled at Jiang Gui and then sought a few opportunities to bid farewell to Bi Linglong.

Bi Linglong, feeling a little "guilty conscience" from their recent intimacy, was eager for him to leave quickly and naturally agreed.

Seeing this, Jiang Gui was somewhat surprised. Everyone said Zu An was a favorite in the Crown Princess's eyes, but currently, their relationship didn't seem all that close, did it?

Thinking this, he perked up immediately and reported the reason for his visit to Bi Linglong, presenting various solutions eloquently, leaving her only to choose one.

Although Bi Linglong was the Crown Princess, she was young and beautiful, and her husband, the Crown Prince, was clearly a fool. Because of this, many young talents in the court harbored an inexplicable fondness and fantasy about her.

While they might not necessarily have had any truly improper intentions, it was simply human nature for young men to admire beauty. Even a mere smile from the Crown Princess could make them happy for a long time. This was why the Crown Princess's reputation was so high. With such a group of young talents at her disposal, assisting her as if they were her own arms, how could her reputation not be elevated?

Jiang Gui gazed at the Crown Princess with anticipation, thinking that with such thorough preparation, he would surely impress her. "Look," he thought, "there's a hint of an uncontrollable smile at the corner of her lips, clearly an appreciation for my abilities."

Unfortunately, he didn't know that Bi Linglong was currently replaying their recent passionate moments in her mind, completely lost in a dream, and utterly oblivious to him standing before her.

***

After leaving the Eastern Palace, Zu An found a place to change his attire before heading to the Embroidery Building. He needed to investigate what had happened to Golden Token Seventh there.

Upon seeing him arrive, Xiao Jianren, Dai Laoqi, and Chen Laoba all excitedly rushed forward to greet him. Their enthusiasm was understandable; their superior was simply too elusive, appearing as rarely as a divine dragon. While their other colleagues were working themselves to death, they were bored to tears.

Simply being idle wouldn't have been an issue on its own, but the Embroidery Building's assessment system primarily determined bonuses based on the amount of work done, so being idle was quite frustrating.

Zu An briefly explained his newly assigned task and asked Xiao Jianren where he could find information related to Golden Token Seventh.

As expected, being the Embroidery Building's walking encyclopedia, Xiao Jianren quickly had the answer and led him to the most confidential intelligence location within the building.

The guards there only stopped Dai Laoqi and Chen Laoba, who looked a bit dejected.

Xiao Jianren, however, said smugly, "This is a conversation between high-ranking officials. You privates should just wait aside."

Dai Laoqi and Chen Laoba looked helpless but knew that the Embroidery Building had a strict hierarchy, so they could only wait outside for them.

Soon, under Xiao Jianren's guidance, Zu An retrieved the relevant files.

Regarding the detailed information for Golden Token Seventh, there was a string of asterisks, with only the gender, male, explicitly stated.

Zu An thought, "You don't need to tell me that. I fought alongside Golden Token Seventh back then; of course, I know he's a man."

As if sensing his displeasure, Xiao Jianren explained, "The identities of the eleven Golden Token Embroidered Envoys are the most secretive existence within the Embroidery Building. It is said that apart from Grand Commander Zhu Xie and the Emperor, no third person knows them."

He then added, "Even if one of the Eleven Masters were to perish someday, the information other Golden Token Embroidered Envoys could access would be similarly limited."

Zu An's face darkened with exasperation. "This kid has such a glib tongue," he thought. "No wonder, despite his great talent, he remains frustrated and unfulfilled in the Embroidery Building."

Fortunately, Xiao Jianren did not disappoint. With his help, Zu An found the files related to Golden Token Seventh's death.

It stated that one day, Golden Token Seventh was passing by a pond, unfortunately slipped, fell into the water, and died by drowning.

Zu An stared blankly. "A dignified Golden Token Embroidered Envoy, drowned after falling into water?"

***

I missed updates for the past two days. No matter how many reasons I give, they would all sound hollow. On this Chinese New Year's Eve, I wish everyone a prosperous Year of the Rabbit! May you all encounter unexpected wealth, meet adorable girls/boys, get promotions and raises, marry a wealthy and beautiful woman/handsome and rich man, and reach the pinnacle of your lives in the new year!

I also hope my updates will see a fresh start in the new year!