Chapter 783: Unexpected Exposure

Zu An was speechless, thinking, "Empress, I'd still like you even if you were a bit more provocative."

Unfortunately, he would never dare say such words to her, otherwise, his life might truly be in danger.

Snapping back to reality, his gaze at Bi Linglong became playful. This woman was quite interesting.

"Why are you staring at me like that? Do I have something on my face?" Bi Linglong asked, feeling his gaze and instinctively touching her cheek.

Zu An smiled and replied, "Yes, your face has flowers on it—more beautiful than all these peach blossoms."

Bi Linglong never expected such direct and ardent praise, and for a moment, she felt flustered. "You're too bold. I already emphasized to you that just because of what happened, you shouldn't think you can have any improper thoughts about me..."

As she spoke, she felt her tone was too blunt. Given his current immense value, which was worth her investment, she quickly explained, "Mainly, if words like that reach a third party, it would cause significant trouble not just for you, but for me as well. So, don't blame me for getting upset."

Zu An chuckled, "You've misunderstood. I was simply praising your beauty from the bottom of my heart, with no other intentions."

This woman was quite contradictory; she claimed to be angry, but his system backend showed no 'anger value' from her.

Bi Linglong's cheeks flushed slightly. "That's good then."

A silence fell between them again, but her heart wouldn't calm down. Why had he stopped calling her 'Crown Princess' and instead used 'you' and 'I'? Should she perhaps be a bit colder and create some distance?

Yet, his recent performance in the academy's back mountain showed he was no ordinary person. If she didn't win him over and befriend him now, while he was at a low point, her efforts might not be as effective in the future.

But she couldn't possibly resort to a honey trap, could she?

Bi Linglong had never been so conflicted. She was a natural politician, and though young, her skill in suppressing and attracting followers was remarkably high. Yet, these tactics always felt inadequate when dealing with Zu An.

Ultimately, it was that incident that prevented her from facing him with a completely normal mindset.

The two walked side by side on the tree-lined path, their shoulders brushing against each other subtly. Bi Linglong couldn't help but recall Zu An holding her when she was completely undressed, her skin almost taking on the color of peach blossoms.

"Crown Princess~" The voice of her maid, Rong Mo, came from not far away. Bi Linglong breathed a sigh of relief, and the blush on her face instantly vanished, replaced by the usual dignified elegance of the Crown Princess.

"Oh, Lord Zu?" Rong Mo exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Zu An beside her.

Bi Linglong explained, "I just happened to meet Lord Zu in the back mountain, so we're returning together."

Rong Mo didn't press further. "Yes!" she responded, while lifting the carriage curtain for Bi Linglong.

Bi Linglong bent down to enter the carriage. She had initially intended to invite Zu An inside as a mark of her special favor, but quickly realized this would easily lead to gossip. So, she changed her mind: "Lord Zu is injured, so you can sit in front of the carriage. You can also drive for me."

The eunuchs and guards around them cast sidelong glances, each sending Zu An envious looks.

Zu An, however, gave a wry smile. In this era, those in power often used intimate tasks like having subordinates drive carriages or even stand guard outside the latrine as a way to show closeness and win favor. But to him, this was simply being a coachman, and it was hard to feel grateful for it.

Of course, he understood Bi Linglong's good intentions and wouldn't mistake it for an insult.

"Driving it is then. It's better than walking. Hmm, one day, I'll openly sit inside the carriage with her."

He then hopped onto the front of the carriage, took a small whip, and cracked it against the horse's flank. The horse whinnied in pain and galloped away at full speed.

The surrounding guards and eunuchs, seeing this, hurried to catch up. "Lord Zu, slow down, slow down!"

Inside the carriage, Bi Linglong also stumbled. Her usual carriage rides were always steady and smooth; she had never experienced such a wild ride.

Rong Mo, holding tightly to the window frame, complained, "Crown Princess, look at him, he's being outrageous! Who drives a carriage like that?"

Bi Linglong smoothed her disheveled hair with her hand, a slight smile playing on her lips. "I actually find our usual rides a bit dull. This is quite interesting."

Rong Mo's jaw dropped as she stared at her mistress in shock, feeling that she had changed a great deal.

Feeling that they had left the guards behind, Bi Linglong pulled back the curtain. The strong headwind made her hair fly around. "Lord Zu, you're injured. We should take you home to rest first."

Rong Mo was alarmed and quickly tried to dissuade her. "Crown Princess, please reconsider. There's no reason for you to personally escort a subject home. If word gets out, it will inevitably lead to all sorts of rumors, especially since the two of you just..."

She didn't dare to finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

Bi Linglong frowned slightly, knowing that Rong Mo had a point. The two of them had just been at the center of such a scandal. Although the storm had passed, her timely efforts to win Zu An over could be explained as a clear conscience. However, if she were too enthusiastic, it might very well backfire.

Just as she was in a dilemma, Zu An said with a smile, "Crown Princess, if you personally escorted me home, you would be showering me with excessive favor, and I'd be torn apart by a jealous mob in a few days. How about I escort the Crown Princess back to the palace instead?"

Bi Linglong secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This man was indeed very considerate. "Yes, that works too. We can also make a quick trip to the Imperial Hospital to get some medicinal herbs for Lord Zu's recovery."

Zu An had initially intended to refuse, but then he had a thought: he would need a large quantity of medicinal herbs for his upcoming alchemy, many of which were not easy to acquire. It would be good to find some at the Imperial Hospital.

Upon reaching the Imperial Palace, Bi Linglong personally led Zu An to the Imperial Hospital. The Imperial Physician-in-Chief, Ma An, rushed out upon hearing the news. "Your humble subject greets the Crown Princess."

Bi Linglong nodded slightly in response. "Lord Ma, you may dispense with the formalities. I've come today to look for some healing medicine."

"What kind of medicine does the Crown Princess require?" Ma An inquired.

"I need..." Bi Linglong opened her mouth but suddenly paused, then looked inquiringly at Zu An.

Zu An replied, "I need Heavenly Crane Ganoderma, Scarlet Star Jade, and Purple Cloud Spirit Flower. Do you have them here?"

These were all essential ingredients for refining the Spirit Gathering Pill, and relatively rare and precious.

Ma An felt a flicker of suspicion. These ingredients weren't for healing; they seemed more like components for pills that help cultivators break through. However, he didn't voice his thoughts in front of the Crown Princess. "We have Heavenly Crane Ganoderma and Scarlet Star Jade, but not the Purple Cloud Spirit Flower."

Bi Linglong hummed in acknowledgment. "Then please prepare some for me. I'll take them with me."

"Yes," Ma An respectfully replied, then quickly went to prepare the requested herbs and eagerly presented them to her.

Bi Linglong didn't take them herself; instead, she had Rong Mo hold them, then turned and left with her retinue.

After leaving the Imperial Hospital, Bi Linglong took the Heavenly Crane Ganoderma and Scarlet Star Jade from Rong Mo and handed them to Zu An. "Lord Zu, go back and rest well to recover from your injuries. Don't exert yourself by running around."

"Thank you, Crown Princess." Zu An felt a warmth in his heart. Although this woman had many tricks up her sleeve, she was truly good to him.

Meanwhile, in a distant pagoda of the Imperial Hospital, a pair of jealous eyes watched from behind a window.

"How can I, the esteemed Imperial Physician-in-Chief, be less important than a mere young man?"

It wasn't that he had any designs on the Crown Princess; he was simply displeased that after he respectfully handed the items to her, she casually had a maid take them, only to personally give them to another man right after.

"It seems the rumors in the palace last time might very well be true," Ma An muttered to himself. "But then why is Zu An fine? Couldn't even the Embroidered Uniform Guards investigate it?"

"Wait a minute, I remember the Crown Princess also came to ask for medicine to treat a soul injury for Golden Token Eleven last time. Now she's asking for other precious herbs for Zu An. How similar these two incidents are! No wonder the Embroidered Uniform Guards couldn't find anything. If Zu An is Golden Token Eleven, then everything makes sense!"