Chapter 795: You Still Dare

An Zu’s mind was churning with a thousand thoughts, but his face betrayed no emotion. “The Crown Prince’s Grand Examination involves Prince Qi, and it’s truly beyond my station to be involved. However, I am deeply dismayed that I cannot ease Your Majesty’s burdens and humbly beg for your punishment.”

Familiar with the machinations of emperors, he knew full well the emperor wasn’t truly seeking to punish him. It was merely a tactic to prod him, to motivate him further for the upcoming tasks. Thus, he played along exceptionally well.

The emperor believed he was manipulating An Zu, but in truth, he was being led by the nose. The sensation was remarkably peculiar.

The emperor was taken aback, surprised by An Zu’s prompt understanding. The elaborate speech he had prepared suddenly became irrelevant, leaving him momentarily speechless.

After a moment, he regained his composure. “Since you have confessed your guilt,” he said, “I am not an unreasonable man. I shall give you an opportunity to redeem yourself through meritorious service.”

An Zu inwardly sneered, but his expression remained outwardly respectful. “Your Majesty, please command me,” he said. “Your humble servant will brave any danger, even death, without hesitation.”

The emperor was pleased with An Zu’s demeanor, and his expression softened slightly. “Presumably, you are already aware of the Crown Prince’s Grand Examination,” he said.

An Zu nodded. “I just heard some news while at the Eastern Palace.”

“The Crown Princess must have told you,” the emperor remarked with a faint smile.

An Zu’s heart tightened. He quickly replied, “The Crown Princess is concerned for the Crown Prince’s future, so she wished to gather us ministers to brainstorm potential solutions.”

It seemed the emperor was wary of his daughter-in-law getting too close to others. An Zu recalled how he had nearly lost a hand for inadvertently embracing the Crown Princess while saving her. Therefore, he dared not equivocate on this matter and immediately distanced himself from Bi Linglong.

Fortunately, the emperor did not press further. He said approvingly, “Linglong is indeed diligent and dutiful. Her concerns are not unfounded; even I do not believe Zhao Jing will remain idle this time.”

An Zu keenly observed that the emperor did not refer to him as Prince Qi, as before, but directly called him Zhao Jing, without reservation. This suggested he was gradually being seen as an insider.

In truth, they were already on the same side, kindred spirits from the start.

The emperor continued, “I am truly uneasy, so I intend to dispatch someone to accompany the Crown Prince into the secret realm for inspection. Firstly, to ensure the Crown Prince’s safety, and secondly, to guard against any unexpected moves from Prince Qi’s faction. As a Gold Medal Embroidered Uniform Envoy and a key official of the Eastern Palace, after much deliberation, you are the most suitable choice.”

An Zu was profoundly alarmed. He simply couldn’t comprehend why the emperor would place such immense trust in him. This was essentially a preliminary skirmish between the emperor’s and Prince Qi’s factions, and neither side could afford defeat. Why would the emperor trust someone who had only recently arrived in the capital to such an extent?

He quickly said, “Your humble servant knows his abilities are meager. While my own demise is inconsequential, implicating the Crown Prince would be a grave sin for which even a thousand deaths would not suffice. In my humble opinion, the most suitable candidate would be Grand Commander Zhuxie. His cultivation is formidable, and he is utterly loyal to Your Majesty…”

He was interrupted by the emperor before he could finish. “Hmph,” the emperor scoffed, “Do you imagine I don’t wish to send him? However, both factions have reached a tacit agreement: no one entering the secret realm may possess cultivation exceeding the seventh rank. Zhuxie Chixin is a renowned Half-Step Grandmaster; how could Zhao Jing’s faction possibly agree to his entry?”

An Zu offered a wry smile. “But my own cultivation also exceeds that limit.”

The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly. “Speaking of which, your power has grown rather quickly. When you first arrived in the capital, you were only around the sixth or seventh rank, weren’t you? How long has it been, and you’ve already reached this level. Yet, it doesn’t add up; I’ve reviewed the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra you presented to me, and cultivating it should, in fact, cause realm advancement to be slower than for ordinary individuals.”

An Zu’s heart clenched. He knew the emperor was suspicious, but he had already prepared a response. “The primary reason my cultivation has advanced so swiftly,” he explained, “is because Old Man Mi attempted to possess me, infusing his entire cultivation into my body. I’ve gradually assimilated his power over the past few days, which accounts for this sudden surge in progress.”

The emperor nodded, his suspicion finally dispelled. With his vast knowledge, he was well aware that while such a forced infusion of power could lead to rapid advancement in the short term, it was ultimately detrimental to one’s cultivation, potentially destroying one’s fundamental cultivation base and precluding any hope of reaching higher realms in the future.

However, he offered no warning to An Zu. After all, the young man’s current cultivation was precisely what he needed for his purposes. As for any long-term hidden ailments or consequences, those were An Zu’s own concern.

“It’s inconsequential that your realm exceeds the limit,” the emperor said. “After all, to most people, you appear to be around the seventh rank. Later, I will bestow upon you a magical artifact that conceals your cultivation aura, allowing you to pass unnoticed.”

Had Zhuxie Chixin’s true cultivation not been widely known, the emperor would likely have already bestowed this item upon him.

An Zu was startled. “Such a divine artifact exists in this world? Then wouldn’t this Grand Examination be exceedingly simple? One would only need to send in a few more experts, and success would be effortlessly achieved!”

The emperor snorted. “You think too simply. While there are many artifacts in the world that can conceal one’s aura, only a precious few can deceive the eyes of the entire court under close scrutiny. Even I, with all the empire’s resources, possess only one such item. Do not fail the trust I place in you.”

“Thank you for Your Majesty’s immense favor!” An Zu easily feigned an expression of profound excitement, while secretly admiring his own acting skills.

He wondered if he would develop schizophrenia if he continued living like this for too long.

The emperor then cautioned him on various matters to heed once inside the secret realm, reiterating that the protection of the Crown Prince must be his foremost priority.

When they finished, the emperor said, “You may withdraw. Go to Concubine Bai later; she will give you the item.”

“Yes!” An Zu calmly exited the imperial study, though his mind was in a tempest. He had never anticipated that the emperor’s magical artifact, capable of concealing cultivation aura, would be in Concubine Bai’s possession.

In that instant, countless conjectures flooded his mind: What was the true relationship between the emperor and Concubine Bai? Why was such a vital artifact entrusted to Concubine Bai? Wasn’t Concubine Bai Yun Jianyue’s junior sister? Did the emperor truly not know she was part of the Demonic Sect?

Unconsciously, An Zu found himself at the entrance of the Hundred Flowers Palace. Through the gates, he glimpsed the beautiful sight of blooming flowers, yet a shiver ran down his spine.

This woman truly concealed too much.

He recalled how, during their previous encounter, he had deliberately teased her, and she had appeared both shy and helpless. Now, he suspected it was all an elaborate act.

Wait, did the emperor also know that he had privately flirted with the Crown Prince’s concubine?

In that fleeting moment, many thoughts raced through his mind. But he quickly took a deep breath and calmed himself. So what if the emperor knew? The fact that he hadn’t exposed him meant he still needed An Zu, which, in turn, offered room for manipulation.

Led inside by a palace maid, Concubine Bai was leisurely swinging on a swing in the flower garden, cradling a baby in her arms.

She showed no surprise at An Zu’s arrival, casually waving her hand to dismiss her attendants.

“Is Your Highness deliberately dismissing your attendants, implying I should continue as I did last time?” An Zu teased.

Concubine Bai showed no fear; instead, she looked at him with a faint smile. “Do you still dare, in your current position?” she challenged.

An Zu snorted, then strode forward, directly seating himself on the swing and effortlessly pulling her onto his lap.

Concubine Bai was a mixture of shock and anger. After a brief moment of stunned silence, she began to struggle. “What are you doing? Let me go!” she demanded.

An Zu sighed. “So, don’t provoke men so easily.”

Concubine Bai ceased her struggles, realizing that her movements were only benefiting him. She forced herself to calm down and stated in a low voice, “Do you realize what you’re doing? If I were to tell the emperor, even nine lives wouldn’t be enough to spare you.”

An Zu wrapped his arm around her slender waist, feeling the softness of her peach-like hips. With a relaxed expression, he said, “But you won’t tell the emperor, will you?”

His mindset had shifted; he now preferred to take the offensive.

Feeling his relentless advance, Concubine Bai’s expression flickered. “Don’t imagine you can threaten me simply because you know about my connection to the Holy Sect,” she warned.

“But it’s proving quite effective, isn’t it?” An Zu did not press further. His teasing was merely a tactic to break down her defenses and extract information, not an attempt to truly take advantage of her.

Concubine Bai took a deep breath, and her expression turned subtly playful. “Then what if I were to tell you now that I am the emperor’s woman? Would you still dare to touch me?”