Chapter 1597: Remarriage

Zhao Xiaodie was both surprised and enraged. She never expected her good intentions to be met with a roar.

Zhi Yin, being handsome and the most talented disciple of Lihentian, was indeed very popular among the sect's female disciples.

Furthermore, he had looked after her when she first entered the sect. Because of this, Zhao Xiaodie had a strong liking for him. While it wasn't love, she valued him much more than other men.

She had just perceived Zhi Yin's pain and indignation. Remembering how Zhi Yin had diligently attended to Chu Chuyan when she first came to Lihentian, only to be met with cold indifference, she couldn't help but feel indignant on his behalf.

"You yelled at me?" Zhao Xiaodie's face fell. As the daughter of King Qi, with noble status, she could not tolerate such mistreatment.

After his outburst, Zhi Yin felt everyone's gaze on him. Startled, he quickly recovered and hastily apologized, "I'm sorry, Junior Sister. I didn't mean to just now; that wasn't what I meant. My mind was just a bit dazed..."

Seeing his flustered explanation, Zhao Xiaodie's expression softened slightly.

Guan Chouhai observed all this, sighing inwardly. It seemed his disciple was repeating his master's mistakes.

"What is this thing called love..."

He couldn't help but gaze at Yan Xuehen opposite him. With her icy skin and jade bones, she possessed extraordinary grace. And after this meeting, she seemed to have acquired a touch of mature and alluring femininity, perfectly complementing her unique ethereal aura. How could there be such a perfect woman in the world?

Noticing his fervent gaze, Yan Xuehen felt displeased. She took the opportunity to bid farewell to King Yan. By nature, she disliked such gatherings; had Zu An not arrived, she would likely have left much earlier.

King Yan naturally extended a warm invitation for her to stay, but seeing that she was unmoved, he sighed, "In that case, I shall see Fairy Yan off."

Xie Daoyun couldn't help but lean closer to Zu An and whisper, "Grandmaster Yan is truly a transcendent figure among the older generation. My father seemed to have been infatuated with her back then, and my mother was quite jealous because of it."

Zu An was a little surprised. "Oh? I thought City Lord Xie was fond of Yu Yanluo back then?"

Truth be told, among that generation, there were probably few who didn't like Yu Yanluo.

"Aren't men all like that, falling for every pretty face they see?" Xie Daoyun's face flushed as she said, a little embarrassed, "Brother Zu, I'm not talking about you. I know you're not that kind of person."

Zu An: "..."

Speaking of which, Yan Xuehen and Yu Yanluo were truly the dream women of men from the previous generation. If they ever found out about my relationships with both of them, I'd probably be hunted down by all the powerful figures in the world, wouldn't I?

At this moment, Yan Xuehen remained unswayed by King Yan's pleas and gracefully departed.

Chu Chuyan felt a bit reluctant, but not daring to defy her master, she could only give Zu An an apologetic glance.

Zu An wasn't in a hurry. Meeting them here was already an unexpected pleasant surprise. As long as they were in Yi Commandery, there would be plenty of opportunities to see them again.

Seeing Yan Xuehen leave, Guan Chouhai also rose to take his leave.

Upon seeing Chu Chuyan depart, Zhi Yin and others immediately found the lively banquet dull and naturally left as well.

Zu An naturally took the opportunity to bid farewell as well. With Yan Xuehen and Chu Chuyan gone, staying there to scheme with old foxes was truly exhausting.

King Yan and Zu An also disliked each other. While King Yan outwardly urged him to stay, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that his sincerity was vastly different from when he had tried to keep Yan Xuehen.

After leaving King Yan's manor, Zu An had originally intended to go find the two women. However, Zhang Jie and other officials from Yi Commandery approached him one after another, eager to curry favor.

Previously, seeing him mocked by Sun Xun without retaliation, they had felt a little disappointed in him.

Now, seeing how resolute he was at the manor, they immediately changed their attitude.

Local officials represented the interests of the court and were used by the emperor to counterbalance regional vassal kings or dukes, so the two factions were naturally at odds.

Dealing with weaker vassal kings or dukes was manageable, but when faced with powerful ones like King Yan, these local officials found their jobs exceedingly difficult.

Having finally welcomed an envoy from the imperial court, they naturally wanted to leverage his influence.

Zu An was helpless but couldn't drive these people away. He could only deal with them, while Yan Xuehen and Chu Chuyan had long since disappeared.

Midway, Zhang Jie invited them to stay at one of his unused villas, which offered much better conditions than the courier station.

Zu An politely declined. Firstly, he couldn't gauge Zhang Jie's true intentions and didn't want to rashly align himself with him. Secondly, Zu An had many secrets, and staying at someone else's villa meant the maids and servants could potentially be informants.

Zhang Jie didn't press the matter and personally escorted him to the Yi Commandery courier station, arranging the best room for him. Only after finally seeing off these people did Zu An collapse into a chair, letting out a long sigh.

"All that official socializing must be tiring, isn't it?" Xie Daoyun smiled, taking a small porcelain bottle from her waist. She poured a small blue pill into a water cup, where it dissolved. "This is a hangover and fatigue-relieving tea, Brother Zu. Have a taste."

"It actually feels more tiring than a major battle," Zu An said, taking the teacup. He inhaled a refreshing fragrance, feeling his spirits lift. "Sister Ling'er, to have made this hangover tea into a pill that you carry with you, truly shows your ingenuity."

"There's nothing else for it," Xie Daoyun said, sitting beside him, her back perfectly straight, truly embodying the impeccable grace of a noble young lady. "My father often has official engagements and drinks himself senseless, and my younger brother is no less troublesome, frequently returning from brothels completely drunk after indulging in pleasures. As the saying goes, 'a long illness makes a good doctor.' So I developed this hangover and fatigue-relieving pill. Speaking of which, I'm quite grateful to Sister Xiaoxi. If she hadn't helped me back then, I wouldn't have been able to make it."

"Ji Xiaoxi?" Zu An was startled. The image of the pure and innocent girl appeared in his mind, and a warmth stirred within him.

"Yes, her father is a divine physician, though he has a strange temper. Fortunately, Xiaoxi isn't like him; she's very kind-hearted and specifically guided me in making this." A smile also touched Xie Daoyun's lips as she thought of the girl who was like a younger sister to her.

Zu An recalled how, when he had encountered great misfortune and was captured and taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, Ji Xiaoxi had even pretended to kiss him to deliver medicine...

He wondered if she was doing well now, and if the cute Han Zhao was now constantly worried about her cultivation at the academy.

It was a pity he hadn't had the chance to return to Mingyue City!

"Brother Zu, Brother Zu?" Xie Daoyun's questioning voice reached his ears, clearly having called him several times.

"What were you asking just now?" Zu An apologized, realizing she had been saying something to him, but his mind had wandered off.

Xie Daoyun's face flushed slightly. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "I saw Miss Chu today. Your relationship still seems very good. Why don't you... remarry?"