Chapter 574: Meeting the Emperor

Zu'an looked at Bi Linglong, then at the Concubine Bai she had mentioned, who was standing nearby. They were truly like plum blossoms, orchids, bamboos, and chrysanthemums, each with their own unique charm.

However, while the Crown Princess was beautiful, she was also too fierce. The Concubine Bai, on the other hand, was gentle and dignified, immediately making a better impression.

It seemed there was some rivalry between the two; one could almost feel sparks flying in the air.

The Crown Prince, standing nearby, giggled foolishly, "Sister Bai, you're here too!"

The young noblewoman curtsied gracefully, her movements as gentle as water even when bowing. "Your Royal Highness, please don't call me that. Just call me Rou Xue."

So, her name was Bai Rou Xue.

Wait, "Your concubine"?

Zu'an suddenly understood. This young noblewoman must be the very concubine Chu Chuyan had mentioned, the one the Emperor bestowed upon the Crown Prince, who then bore him a son.

No wonder she had just called the Crown Princess "little sister," and why the Crown Princess, despite her obvious displeasure, had to suppress her temper and feign civility.

Bai Rou Xue appeared a few years older than Bi Linglong. While the Crown Princess sometimes looked like a maiden, this woman was more like a young married woman, a mature one.

His gaze involuntarily fell upon her full bosom. Remembering Chu Chuyan's mention of her having a son, he wondered if she was still nursing.

Bai Rou Xue seemed to notice his gaze, her face coloring slightly. However, she said nothing, instead turning to the Crown Princess. "I heard Sister Linglong's voice from a distance just now, so I came to see who had upset her."

Bi Linglong fumed inwardly, thinking, *Are you mocking me for being loud?*

She said coolly, "I was merely teaching a lesson to an insolent fellow; I didn't expect to disturb Concubine Bai."

The other woman kept calling her "little sister" because she was a few years older and held a special status, so there was nothing inherently wrong with the address.

But Bi Linglong absolutely refused to call her "elder sister." After all, she was the Crown Prince's principal consort; how could she call a secondary consort "elder sister"?

"Oh? Is this the insolent fellow, then?" Bai Rou Xue asked curiously, looking at Zu'an.

Zu'an's expression was odd. What a mess. He felt as though he had stumbled into the vortex of these two women's palace intrigue.

He glanced at Zhao Ruizhi beside him. This chubby prince certainly had good fortune with women; both were exceedingly beautiful, and each possessed a distinctly different temperament.

However, at that moment, Zhao Ruizhi merely stood by, displaying the kind of foolish grin peculiar to a mentally challenged child, a sight that tugged at one's heartstrings.

Bai Rou Xue scrutinized him. "From your attire, you don't seem to be from the palace. How did you get in?"

Bi Linglong, standing nearby, was startled. This was indeed a point of suspicion, and she had actually overlooked this crucial question just now. It was all because this fellow was so audacious, igniting her fury and causing her to lose her composure more than usual.

Zu'an replied, "Zhu Xie Chixin brought me into the palace, and then Eunuch Li led me to this area."

Bi Linglong's beautiful face subtly changed. She finally recalled where she had heard that name: it was the fellow who had recently caused such a stir with his talks of immortality.

Bai Rou Xue, beside her, also looked at him with surprise; she evidently realized Zu'an's identity.

Bi Linglong snorted and directly addressed Zhao Ruizhi, who was nearby. "Your Royal Highness, let's go back. Your morning lessons aren't finished yet."

Zhao Ruizhi grew anxious. "But I want to play with Zu'an! He knows so many fun th—"

At that moment, Bi Linglong shot him a glare, frightening him into swallowing the rest of his words.

Bai Rou Xue, at the side, smiled slightly. "Sister Linglong, leaving so soon?"

Bi Linglong replied indifferently, "I must supervise the Crown Prince's studies; I dare not be negligent."

*Hmph,* she thought. *That Zu'an fellow is someone the Emperor specifically wants to see. I just threatened to beat him to death. If word reaches the Emperor's ears, who knows what he'll think of me, or even my family.*

She realized she could no longer punish Zu'an, so what was the point of staying there and making a spectacle of herself?

She gave her maid, Rong Mo, a look, and the maid quickly motioned for the eunuchs nearby to help the Crown Prince back. The group departed in a hurry, with only Zhao Ruizhi reluctantly looking back repeatedly, unclear whether he was unwilling to part with his gentle Sister Bai or with Zu'an.

After seeing them leave, Zu'an cupped his hands in greeting to the noblewoman beside him and thanked her. "Thank you, Concubine Bai, for speaking up just now. You saved me a lot of trouble."

Bai Rou Xue nodded slightly, offering a faint smile but no reply, then turned and gracefully departed.

Zu'an looked dejected. *Are all the women in the palace this aloof?*

Even the beautiful Crown Princess initially couldn't be bothered to speak to him, having her maids do the talking, only speaking a few words herself when she couldn't help it.

And now, this seemingly gentle Concubine Bai was also like the haughty Crown Princess, not saying a single word to him.

*It's as if I'm some lecherous pervert. Who are they guarding against?*

Of course, he understood that it wasn't just palace consorts; even the inner chambers of ordinary families wouldn't allow women to speak to outside men. In their eyes, men outside the family were "outsiders," and any hint of a private meeting with one could lead to rumors that would be devastating to a woman's reputation.

Previously, Brightmoon City, being a center of commerce, had a more open atmosphere in many respects, but other cities were very strict about such matters.

However, logically, a large place like the capital shouldn't be so conservative in its customs.

He suddenly had an epiphany. It must be because the Crown Prince was simple-minded; as his consorts, they naturally had to be even more careful to avoid any impropriety.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh. Even though the Crown Prince was a bit foolish, he was truly blessed.

Just then, a young eunuch rushed over. "Oh, there you are! We've been looking everywhere for you. Hurry, come with me, His Majesty has finished court and wants to see you."

Zu'an frowned, a hint of wariness in his heart. "What about Eunuch Li?"

The young eunuch instinctively replied, "Eunuch Li seems to have committed some offense, and His Majesty..."

He abruptly stopped mid-sentence. "No more questions, just come quickly!"

Zu'an was thoughtful as he followed the young eunuch to a quiet and elegant room. Seeing the words "Imperial Study" on the plaque above, he finally relaxed. Although he had some suspicions, he had been worried the eunuch might lead him into a trap, but now it seemed his worries were unnecessary.

After all, this was the inner palace of the imperial city, the Emperor's private domain. If things kept going wrong one after another, the Emperor would be a complete failure.

The young eunuch respectfully bowed at the doorway. "Your Majesty, the person has been brought."

At that moment, a majestic voice came from within the room. "Let him enter."

The young eunuch pushed open the door and gestured for Zu'an to enter.

Although he had made a detailed plan beforehand, as the moment arrived, Zu'an still found himself nervous, his heart pounding, and even his body trembling slightly out of his control.

This wasn't cowardice, but an an instinctive perception of danger. After all, inside was the strongest person in the world, and if his plan truly failed, he would likely face certain death.

However, he had also been an emperor for several decades in the Yin Ruins secret realm. He took a deep breath, quickly composed himself, and walked straight in.

Once he was inside, the young eunuch casually closed the door from the outside.

The creaking sound of the door closing further accentuated the heavy atmosphere.

Upon entering the room, he felt a sense of oppression, as if breathing was far more difficult than usual.

His expression subtly changed. He naturally understood this was the formidable pressure of a supreme expert. Yet, despite having absorbed the Mosquito Daoist's cultivation, which had drastically improved his strength, he still felt this uncomfortable.

He had never encountered such oppressive force before. Whether it was old man Mi, Eunuch Wei, or even the giant dragons and Mosquito Daoist he met on the way to the capital, their pressure was completely incomparable to the person before him. The closest he had felt was when he first encountered Mi Li in the secret realm, but back then, with the "rich lady's joy orb" as his trump card, the shock wasn't so pronounced.

Against those others, he still had the courage to draw his sword and fight back. But now, he felt a soul-deep tremor, as if every cell in his body was telling him it was useless, there was no need to struggle, just kneel down and beg for mercy.

However, he then thought of the First Emperor's remnant soul and King Wu Geng of Shang in the secret realm. He had survived encounters with them; how could he give up so easily now?

Besides, as a transmigrator, he had seen all sorts of scenarios online in his previous life. He couldn't disgrace his fellow transmigrator predecessors!

As these thoughts passed through his mind, he suddenly felt clarity, and the pressure around him instantly lightened.

At that moment, a soft exclamation came from not far away. "Oh? You're quite interesting, fellow."