Chapter 669: I Have a Friend

Xiaohaozi and Xiaoxuzi, standing nearby, looked at him with suspicion. "This guy must be bragging," they thought. The Grand Tutor had often taught the Crown Prince before, but the Prince never managed to learn it, and even they, listening in, found it utterly confusing.

The Crown Princess, who was known for her intelligence, had also secretly tutored the Crown Prince. Yet, she too failed to teach him, becoming so frustrated that she eventually refused to teach him anything further.

Where did this man get the nerve to claim it was simple?

Zu'an then sat down opposite the Crown Prince and began explaining the rules, using the chessboard and the black and white pieces on the table.

"Oh, so you just need to connect five pieces in a line to win? It's that simple!" the Crown Prince exclaimed excitedly, looking as if he had just discovered he was a genius. "Those people made such a big fuss about it all day, making me think it was so complicated."

However, he was quickly defeated by Zu'an and began to feel embarrassed. "Alright, alright," he said, "you go busy yourself. Xiaohaozi, you and Xiaoxuzi come play with me."

Xiaohaozi and Xiaoxuzi were also wide-eyed, thinking how simple Go was, having seemingly learned it just by watching. However, unlike Zu'an, they dared not be merciless. They subtly went easy on the Crown Prince, making him grin from ear to ear.

While the "battle" raged outside, Zu'an took the opportunity to go to the inner chambers to see the Crown Princess.

The Crown Princess was sitting in front of her dressing mirror, pressing the back of her hand against her cheek, as if checking how flushed her face was.

Upon seeing Zu'an enter, she immediately dropped her lovesick maidenly expression, gave a slight cough, and resumed her usual dignified and noble demeanor. "What's the Crown Prince doing out there?" she asked, "It sounds so lively."

"Oh, they're playing Go," Zu'an replied, though he mentally added, "the simplified version, Gomoku."

"Go?" The Crown Princess snorted lightly, clearly recalling some unpleasant past incidents.

Not bothering to waste any more thought on the Crown Prince, she directly asked, "What brings you here?"

Zu'an replied, "I just inquired at the imperial prison, but I didn't learn anything new."

He dared not tell her that Prince Qi had sent people to "rescue" the assassins. If she knew, she would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to rally the Crown Prince's faction to attack Prince Qi at the court assembly, and he didn't want things to escalate to that point.

The Crown Princess acknowledged with a hum, clearly not having held much hope for this matter from the start.

"By the way, why did the Emperor suddenly summon you?" the Crown Princess couldn't help but ask. From her perspective, she couldn't imagine why the Emperor would call upon him.

Zu'an replied, "The Emperor heard that Prince Qi had sought me out, so he summoned me and encouraged me to serve both the Crown Prince and you, the Crown Princess, with dedication."

The Crown Princess was startled. "The Emperor really said that?" she asked.

"How would I dare to deceive you?" Zu'an replied. "In truth, even if the Emperor hadn't said so, I would still dedicate myself wholeheartedly to the Crown Prince and you, the Crown Princess, until my dying breath."

"To dedicate myself wholeheartedly until my dying breath..." the Crown Princess murmured. Her eyes lit up; she hadn't expected this man to possess such talent, having clearly underestimated him before. However, she didn't trust him immediately, but instead asked with a piercing gaze, "Why would you be so devoted?"

Zu'an met her gaze without flinching. "Of course, it's because of you, Crown Princess..."

At his words, the Crown Princess's expression instantly changed. But before she could react, she heard him continue, "...because you, Crown Princess, stood firm against Prince Qi's pressure to protect me. Although I haven't studied much, I understand the principle of repaying kindness. In the future, I will certainly dedicate all my efforts to you."

The Crown Princess then relaxed. "It's rare to find such loyalty," she said. "As long as you serve the Eastern Palace well, the Crown Prince and I will not treat you unfairly."

For some reason, she felt that the man in front of her had a speaking style somewhat similar to Lord Eleven. However, she immediately dismissed the thought. "How could that be?" she mused. "The two are as different as heaven and earth."

Thinking of Lord Eleven, her heart suddenly pounded. "Why did he say those things?" she wondered.

Was he flirting with me?

But how dare he? I am the dignified Crown Princess, and he is an Embroidered Uniform Guard protecting the royal family... How could he speak to me that way...?

Or perhaps I'm overthinking it? Maybe he didn't mean that at all?

At this thought, she quickly called out to Zu'an, "Wait a moment!"

Zu'an turned, looking at her quizzically.

The Crown Princess's elegant cheeks were slightly flushed. "I have a friend," she began, "who has been troubled by a question for some time, but unfortunately, she has no answer. So, she would like to consult with Lord Zu."

Zu'an paused, wondering what this woman could possibly ask him. "Crown Princess, please speak freely," he said.

He didn't realize that the Crown Princess found it too awkward to ask this question to anyone close to her, fearing social embarrassment. Everyone around her was either a eunuch or a palace maid, and the only somewhat normal person was a fool, so there was no one she could ask. In contrast, Zu'an was not too familiar with her and came from a different background, perhaps able to offer a fresh perspective.

The Crown Princess paused, seemingly deliberating her words. "My friend, she really is my friend..." she said, emphasizing the point by looking directly into his eyes, as if afraid he wouldn't believe her.

Zu'an suppressed a smile. "Alright, alright," he said, "I understand it's definitely not you, Crown Princess."

The Crown Princess's elegant cheeks were flushed crimson. She then continued, "She knows a man, and she's always had a very good impression of him. But one day, that man suddenly said some strange things to me... *cough, cough*... to my friend. She doesn't know what he meant."

Zu'an's heart skipped a beat. "What strange things did that person say to you... your friend?"

"It was... it was..." The Crown Princess hesitated, but then relayed Lord Eleven's previous words to him. She added, "My friend is of noble status, and a relationship with that man is destined to be impossible. He knows this clearly, so why would he say such things? How dare he?"

Zu'an's expression became strange. He hadn't expected that the very words he'd spoken to help Yun Jianyue would cause this woman such distress. He could only explain, "Perhaps that man is just a philanderer who enjoys saying flattering things, and he just said it casually without any other hidden meaning."

To his surprise, the Crown Princess immediately glared at him. "Nonsense!" she snapped. "That man is mature and steady. Do you think he's as frivolous and ill-behaved as you?"

Zu'an was speechless. It seemed that when one develops feelings for someone, they automatically view them through a filter, always interpreting their actions in the best possible light. He couldn't help but say with a subtle smile, "It seems, Crown Princess, that you are quite familiar with that person."

Hearing his words, the Crown Princess's heart skipped a beat. Realizing she had perhaps revealed too much, she quickly added, "All of this was told to me by my friend."

Zu'an didn't expose her and went straight to the point. "Perhaps that person has feelings for you... your friend, but knowing full well that a relationship between them is impossible due to their statuses, he was tormented by his feelings and couldn't help but express his affection to you... your friend through such ambiguous words?"

A successful player, after all, knows to lure any attractive "fish" into their "pond" first, regardless of whether it truly leads anywhere.

"Ah?" The Crown Princess's red lips parted into an 'O' shape, and her heart pounded. "Did Lord Eleven mean that about me?"

"But... but given our statuses, how could that be possible...?"

When she first married the Crown Prince, she initially thought he was merely a bit dull. She had tried tirelessly to teach him various subjects and change him, but it turned out he was a complete fool. After countless setbacks, she finally despaired.

Her marriage to the Crown Prince was originally a matter of family interest, with no affection between them. Seeing that he was beyond redemption, her heart had completely withered.

But now, she felt that once-dead heart pounding, and she felt more vibrant than usual, as if constantly filled with anticipation for what the next moment might bring.

"Is this the power of love?" As this thought arose, her previously flushed face instantly turned pale with alarm. She quickly suppressed the idea, then looked at Zu'an. "My friend's status is special," she said. "So please, don't tell anyone about what we just discussed. Otherwise, if she finds out and blames you, you won't be able to bear the consequences."

Zu'an suppressed a smile. "Of course, I'm not one to spread rumors," he said.

He mused, "If one day you learn my true identity, I wonder if you'll be so mortified that you'll want to dig a three-bedroom apartment into the ground with your toes."

The thought of that scene filled him with considerable anticipation.