Chapter 432: Regret

King Liang, standing by, smiled without speaking. As the Empress’s uncle, Liu Yao naturally represented the Crown Prince’s interests. King Wu, not being the Empress’s son, was inherently unaligned with the Liu family and therefore instinctively wary of them.

Unlike the Liu family, King Liang didn't care which of the princes ascended the throne, as it wouldn't affect his own status.

He smiled and changed the subject. "Instead of worrying about King Wu, we should consider the other factions. Although that Zu An boy is annoying, he does have a point. It won't be long before people hear about this and arrive."

Liu Yao said bitterly, "That brat is truly detestable. He deliberately spread news of the 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture' everywhere. If I had known this, I would have ordered a city-wide lockdown in Brightmoon City to prevent the information from leaking."

King Liang let out a bitter laugh. "How could you have sealed it off? Many factions have their unique communication methods; they don't need people to leave the city to relay messages. Besides, City Lord Xie Yi is from King Qi's lineage. Do you really expect him to calmly enforce a city lockdown for you?"

Liu Yao snorted, "These people are all feigning compliance. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, we will settle accounts with each and every one of them!"

King Liang lightly coughed. "Brother Liu, mind your words."

Liu Yao was startled, realizing his words had gone too far. When could the Crown Prince ascend the throne? Only after the Emperor passed away, of course.

Weren't his words, then, a curse upon the Emperor?

You should know that the Emperor has been most sensitive about this for years. Once, an imperial chef was executed simply because the Emperor, passing by, overheard him use the word "death" while slaughtering a chicken.

"Thank you for the reminder, Lord," Liu Yao said, a hint of gratitude on his face.

King Liang smiled. "You're welcome. The upcoming period will certainly not be easy; we'll need to work together to get through it."

If he didn't need to rely on Liu Yao and his Imperial Guards in the immediate future, he wouldn't bother caring if Liu Yao was courting death.

Liu Yao was somewhat dismissive. "This is, after all, an imperial criminal explicitly requested by the Emperor. We are personally escorting him with the Imperial Guards, and the Embroidered Uniform Emissaries are also with us. Do they really dare to openly seize him?"

King Liang let out a long sigh. "Immortality is something many people dream of. Furthermore, who knows how many people in this world don't wish for the Emperor to live forever?"

Liu Yao immediately fell silent. Not to mention others, even... would likely not wish for the Emperor to live forever.

Compared to the tension in the front carriage, the atmosphere in the carriage behind was much more cheerful.

Zheng Dan huddled in the corner, her face flushed with embarrassment. "You scoundrel, why did you drag me into this carriage?"

Zu An smiled faintly. "What's wrong? Isn't it better to rest comfortably in a carriage than to be exposed to the wind and sun in a prison cart?"

As he spoke, he looked around the interior of the carriage. Liu Yao was indeed a lavish spender; the carriage was furnished as luxuriously as a Rolls-Royce.

Hearing his words, Zheng Dan realized he must have seen her earlier when she tried to shield herself from the sun. That's why he had stepped forward to demand a change of carriage. Everyone else thought he was being unreasonable, but only she understood he was doing it for her. A warmth spread through her heart at the thought.

However, being alone with him in a confined space, with so many people nearby, made her wonder how she would ever face herself again.

"Come, massage my legs. I was in that prison cart for too long; my legs are a bit numb," Zu An said, placing his legs directly on her lap.

Zheng Dan was startled and quickly pointed outside.

Zu An said dismissively, "Don't worry, the prison cart is far from here. They won't hear anything from inside."

Both shy and annoyed, Zheng Dan quickly pointed to the side of the carriage. She wasn't just worried about Sang Qian; the Embroidered Uniform Emissaries were also guarding the carriage nearby.

Zu An understood. "Oh, I brought you from that terrible prison cart into this comfortable carriage. What's wrong with you helping me massage my legs out of gratitude? Commander Huang, wouldn't you agree?" The latter part was addressed to the outside.

From outside the carriage, Commander Huang's grunt quickly came. "Don't go too far. Her husband is still watching from behind."

"Understood, Commander Huang means it's okay to have a little fun," Zu An chuckled. "As for Sang Qian, let him watch; it doesn't matter, he can't see anything anyway."

Commander Huang was speechless.

*Was that what I meant?*

But he couldn't be bothered to respond. This fellow was truly troublesome. His only task was to safely deliver him to the capital; as for other matters, he couldn't be bothered to interfere. After all, it wasn't his wife being toyed with.

Zu An then smiled at Zheng Dan. "See? He has no objections."

Zheng Dan gently bit her red lip. With things having come to this point, she had no choice but to give him a resentful look before gently beginning to massage his legs.

In truth, they had done these things many times in private, but with so many people outside, she truly couldn't relax.

"Ah, Miss Zheng's delicate hands are as comfortable as ever," Zu An said, smiling as he looked at her. Zheng Dan was already beautiful, but now, against the backdrop of the bright red wedding dress, she appeared even more vibrant and enchanting.

Zheng Dan's heart pounded. Fortunately, there was nothing unusual outside, so they probably hadn't noticed the implied meaning in his words.

Zu An patted his thigh, gesturing for her to sit on it.

Zheng Dan was startled and shook her head desperately. *What a joke!* So many people outside were constantly paying attention to the movements inside the carriage. If she were discovered, how could she ever face anyone again?

Zu An mouthed silently, "Don't worry, I won't do anything. I just want to hug you. After all, I don't know how many more chances I'll have to hold you."

Zheng Dan's face clouded. Indeed, while she and the Sang family might still have a chance to survive, Zu An had offended the Emperor, and this trip to the capital was likely a death sentence for him.

Thinking of this, she no longer cared about anything else. She slowly walked over and held him tightly, the two distressed individuals huddling together for warmth.

Feeling her body tremble slightly and knowing she wasn't as strong as she appeared, Zu An gently patted her shoulder to comfort her.

He at least had some resources to rely on, but she, a young girl, had to endure so much.

"Thank you," Zheng Dan whispered, feeling a warm current rise in her heart at his thoughtfulness.

"Do we need to say such things between us?" Zu An murmured, holding the soft, fragrant beauty in his arms. Especially since she was wearing a bride's gown today, she appeared even more delicate and enchanting than usual, and a wave of heat rose in his heart.

Just then, a pair of soft red lips kissed him. This truly ignited a spark, and Zu An, no longer able to restrain himself, tightly embraced the beauty in his arms.

Zheng Dan seemed to be using this as an outlet for the fear, dread, and despair that had accumulated in her heart over the past few days, throwing herself into it passionately.

As Zu An caressed her plump body, he suddenly realized something frustrating: the wedding dress, though beautiful, was too opulent and heavy, making it impossible for him to find a way to unfasten it.

Zheng Dan pressed his hand down, bit her lip, and shook her head slightly. Her large, watery eyes seemed to speak, reminding him that there were so many people outside. Secretly kissing him was fine, but to go any further, she absolutely dared not.

Zu An's finger gently traced words on her skin: "We just won't make a sound."

Zheng Dan's heart pounded violently, and her expression showed a hint of hesitation.

Seeing her attitude wasn't resolute, Zu An seized the opportunity to continue his advances.

Zheng Dan's passion was quickly ignited, and she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck.

After a while, Zheng Dan suddenly smiled shyly, then reached out and began to unbutton her clothes.

Zu An quickly grabbed her hand and mouthed silently, "Don't take it off; it's more interesting with it on."

Zheng Dan gave him a resentful look. They were already too familiar for her not to understand a man's thoughts.

Zu An's finger slowly wrote on her palm, "Your wedding lacks a wedding night. To prevent you from having a lifelong regret, I'll make it up to you."

Zheng Dan was both shy and annoyed. She couldn't help but bite him hard. *Can a wedding night be made up by someone other than the groom?*