Chapter 565: Lips Red and Teeth White

Zu An was taken to a quiet mansion. It was clearly not far from the imperial palace, as he could faintly see its vermilion high walls and bright yellow glazed tiles. Presumably, this was to ensure he could enter the palace as early as possible the next morning.

The security around the mansion was quite tight. However, Prince Liang and Liu Yao had both left, likely to report back on their duties. Even Zhu Xie Chixin had departed, seemingly to report something to the emperor inside the palace.

Observing the vigilant guards around him, Zu An felt puzzled. Was Zhu Xie Chixin so confident? Although the guards were competent, with all three top experts gone, wasn't there a risk of creating an opportunity for an attack? He even suspected Zhu Xie Chixin had been bribed by other forces. Yet, whenever he had asked the Sang family or Chu Chuyan before, they had unequivocally stated that Zhu Xie Chixin was the emperor's most trusted subordinate. If such a trusted person could be corrupted, then the emperor might as well commit suicide, as he could never become the most powerful person in the world.

Zu An couldn't understand the reasoning behind staying out for a night before entering the palace. He felt like a patient waiting for an injection: once the needle was in, it wasn't so bad, but the most agonizing part was the wait just before it was inserted. At the same time, he wondered why he hadn't seen Chu Chuyan. She had promised to arrive in the capital early to make preparations, so she should have met up with him by now.

Meanwhile, Chu Chuyan was anxiously speaking in the Qin family mansion: "Grandpa, I have never asked you for anything in my life, but if you stand by and do nothing this time, Ah Zu will surely die."

Facing her was a tall, imposing old man. Although his hair was flecked with silver, it didn't give him an impression of age; rather, it added an ethereal quality to him. Even in his old age, his sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, and his jade-like complexion were evident, suggesting he must have been incredibly handsome and dashing in his youth. He was indeed Chu Chuyan's maternal grandfather, Qin Zheng, the Marshal of the Imperial Guard, and the foremost figure in the military establishment of the current dynasty.

At that moment, he was intently writing calligraphy with a brush, seemingly deaf to Chu Chuyan's anxiety. Chu Chuyan bit her lip, her heart filled with worry. Her grandfather was clearly a military general, yet he inexplicably enjoyed feigning elegance and particularly loved being praised as a "scholar-general" or similar. His calligraphy was clearly not very good, yet he insisted on acting like a master. Although she grumbled inwardly, she dared not voice these thoughts. Her grandfather was open-minded in most regards, but anyone who dared criticize his calligraphy would immediately incur his wrath.

While his calligraphy was far from the realm of a master and not particularly aesthetically pleasing, there was a certain spirit and character in his strokes. At first, people praised him in this regard, but then someone, perhaps against their better judgment, exaggerated the praise more and more ridiculously. Over time, it led him to believe he was a reincarnation of a calligraphy saint.

After Qin Zheng finished writing the piece before him, he took out his personal seal and stamped it, then finally revealed a satisfied expression: "Chuyan, come and see how Grandpa's calligraphy turned out."

Chu Chuyan's eyelids twitched. The calligraphy read "Serenity Leads to Greatness," clearly a subtle admonition for her to calm down, overcome impatience, and find complete inner peace. But with Zu An already in the capital, how could she possibly calm down? Since she needed his help, Chu Chuyan reluctantly offered a few words of praise.

Qin Zheng snorted, "Your tone is clearly too insincere. Hmph, I remember you never used to lie. Now, after marrying that scoundrel, you've picked up a whole bunch of bad habits."

Chu Chuyan was displeased: "Ah Zu is not a scoundrel."

"A street hooligan and ruffian, what else would you call him?" Qin Zheng said with dissatisfaction, "Your good-for-nothing father, I don't know what he was thinking, to just pick a scoundrel from that small place, Brightmoon City, to be a live-in son-in-law! It's simply outrageous!"

Chu Chuyan knew about his resentment towards her father, and as a junior, it was truly inconvenient for her to interject in such matters. Qin Zheng continued grumbling, still unsatisfied: "With your beauty and cultivation talent, couldn't you have found a brilliant young man anywhere in the world? Yet that good-for-nothing father of yours and your muddled mother so easily married you off to a piece of trash, making you a second-time bride!"

Chu Chuyan calmly stated, "Ah Zu is not trash. In my heart, all the brilliant young men in the world combined cannot compare to him."

"What kind of bewildering potion did that boy give you?" Qin Zheng's brows furrowed tightly. "You and your mother truly are two of a kind."

Chu Chuyan bit her lip, knowing that her visit to her grandfather's house would certainly not go smoothly, but for Zu An's sake, she couldn't care less. She patiently explained, "Tell me, is there any other brilliant young man in the world whom even the Emperor takes seriously? Ah Zu's ability to obtain the legendary Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix proves that he is destined for greatness."

Qin Zheng sneered, "It's better if you don't mention that; it just makes me angry. Originally, Prince Qi's situation was excellent, but then that brat came up with some 'Nirvana Sutra of the Phoenix' that supposedly grants immortality, instantly putting us in an extremely passive position."

Chu Chuyan couldn't help but say, "Grandpa, I've never understood why the Qin family, with its esteemed background, needed to get involved in the succession struggle. Even though Great-Aunt is Prince Qi's mother, it's not worth binding the entire Qin family to his cause. One wrong move in such a matter could lead to disaster, with our family being annihilated."

Qin Zheng spoke in a deep voice, "You are a cultivator yourself, so you should understand that to not advance is to retreat. The Qin family is currently the foremost family in the military. Can we guarantee that we'll remain so in ten or twenty years? Countless families below us are eyeing our position, waiting to replace us, enjoy our glory, and seize our resources. How could we possibly do nothing?"

"Speaking of which, it's all your mother's fault!" Qin Zheng grew angrier as he spoke. "When your great-aunt married Prince Qi's father, we originally intended for your mother to enter the palace as a consort. That way, with both our families making a bet, no matter who won or lost, we would be the winners. But your mother, blinded by foolishness, insisted on eloping with that good-for-nothing Chu Zhongtian, forcing us to side with only one party."

Chu Chuyan was speechless. It was the first time she had learned of this reason. Her father was truly something, to actually abduct a future imperial consort. No wonder the Emperor had been targeting their Chu family all these years; so this was another contributing factor.

Noticing the slight upward curve of her lips, Qin Zheng grew even more displeased: "What are you laughing at? Daughters are indeed money pits! Your mother was like this, and so are you!"

Chu Chuyan knew he was merely angry at her supposed lack of ambition and bore no ill will. She quickly helped him sit down: "Grandpa, please have some tea to calm down."

Qin Zheng took the tea and cleared his throat: "You used to give everyone a cold shoulder, but now, for that Zu An, you've learned to curry favor with others. I really want to see what kind of talent that fellow truly is."

Chu Chuyan's heart leaped with joy: "Grandpa, have you agreed to save him?"

Qin Zheng shook his head: "What kind of person is the Emperor? If he wants someone dead, who can save them? Furthermore, it's not just the Emperor who wishes him dead."

Chu Chuyan's expression changed slightly, and just as she was about to press further, Qin Zheng flicked his finger, directly sealing her acupuncture points: "Someone! Take Miss down. She is not to step out of her room for the next few days."

"Grandpa!" Chu Chuyan exclaimed in alarm. But no matter how much she pleaded, Qin Zheng remained unmoved. After the servants had left, Qin Zheng stood up, gazed in the direction of the imperial palace, and let out a long sigh: "Back then, my moment of soft-heartedness regarding your mother ruined her life. I will absolutely not repeat the same mistake this time."

Meanwhile, as Zu An was meditating and cultivating in his room, the door was suddenly kicked open. He abruptly opened his eyes but was instantly stunned. He had expected a burly assassin or similar, but instead, a finely dressed, elegant young man entered. With red lips and white teeth, and a slender, seemingly delicate build, he perfectly embodied the image of a refined, handsome young master, leaving a deep impression. If this were his previous life, he would have been the heartthrob of countless girls in school; even top-tier celebrities would have to step aside.

After arriving in this world, aside from looking in a mirror, the handsomest person Zu An had seen was Xie Xiu. Yet, he hadn't expected there to be someone even more handsome and feminine-looking than Xie Xiu in this world. He subconsciously glanced at his chest; it was flat and unremarkable. Then he looked at his throat; he could faintly discern an Adam's apple. Zu An pouted. "Not a woman disguised as a man. How boring."

The young man had originally been observing Zu An with some curiosity, but upon noticing the other's unrestrained and intrusive gaze, he became annoyed: "Where are those dog eyes of yours staring? I don't know what my sister sees in you!"