Chapter 894: Wangfu Secrets

Seeing her usual regal demeanor replaced by a seductive charm in her eyes, Zu An felt a surge of heat. His voice husky, he said, "Woman, you're playing with fire!"

"What if I am? You're so weak right now, how could you possibly lecture me?" the Empress said with a giggle.

Guarding the door, Eunuch Lü was momentarily in a daze. How many years had it been since he'd seen the Empress so happy?

In her youth, she used to tease him with such a radiant smile. It was a tenderness that once belonged only to him, but now it belonged to another man.

Sigh, what was the use of thinking about it? As long as the Empress was happy now, so was he.

Yet, why did the thought feel so heartbreaking? In the end, it was all nonsense anyway.

At that moment, a low cry came from inside the room. He abruptly turned and saw Zu An pull the Empress into his embrace, her elaborate phoenix robe crumpled.

"That brat must have a death wish!" Eunuch Lü's eyelids twitched. He wished... he wished he were the one holding the Empress inside.

Unfortunately, he could only fantasize, and he still had to stand guard outside for them, preventing anyone from seeing what shouldn't be seen.

"I'm not one to be provoked. Since you have such a request, I'll satisfy you." Zu An fiercely wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. A mature woman's waist was soft and voluptuous without any excess, a completely different experience from a young girl's youthful vitality.

The Empress felt a strange sensation in her body. She couldn't help but look down and immediately spat, "How dare you offend me!"

This guy, despite being so severely injured, still...

Zu An smiled, "Should I report this to His Majesty?"

The Empress's eyes glinted. "Why bother His Majesty with such matters? If I simply speak the word, two young eunuchs could drag you out and beat you to death."

"I'm afraid the Empress wouldn't be able to part with me," Zu An said, while beginning to examine her phoenix robe. Although they were already very familiar with each other, this was the first time he had viewed her elaborate ceremonial dress up close. He had to admit, the fabric was exquisite, and the phoenixes embroidered with gold and jade thread were quite beautiful.

The Empress's heart pounded. She hadn't expected him to be so audacious.

She had intended to control the situation and put him in his place, but now she found herself feeling weak all over, controlled by him instead.

"There are other guards outside," the Empress said. She had meant to sound angry, but her voice held no trace of anger; instead, it was so soft and sweet that it startled even herself.

Outside the door, Eunuch Lü's heart grew even more bitter, yet he also felt an inexplicable thrill.

"I know," Zu An said nonchalantly. At this moment, he certainly wasn't swayed by her beauty.

Their relationship, in particular, was very strange.

Despite their intimate physical encounters, both understood there was no love or tenderness between them, only naked calculation.

Their interactions were a constant battle; whoever lost the initial skirmish would continue to concede ground. Therefore, both used every means to gain the upper hand in their relationship.

The Empress was speechless.

What did he mean, "I know"? And then what?

She felt herself falling into his rhythm. Her reason told her to break free, but the unprecedented feeling made her somewhat reluctant.

Just then, Eunuch Lü's coughing could be heard from the doorway.

The Empress immediately pushed Zu An away, stood up from his embrace, and quickly straightened her somewhat disheveled phoenix robe.

Eunuch Lü wouldn't make a sound without reason; he was clearly giving a warning.

Sure enough, Zhu Xie Chixin's voice soon followed: "Oh, Eunuch Lü, why are you here?"

Eunuch Lü smiled and replied, "This old servant is accompanying Her Majesty to visit the brave warrior who performed great deeds this time. But Chief Commander, you truly are everywhere."

"I just came from the Imperial Study and decided to wander around here." He spoke as he walked toward the door, then saw the Empress inside and immediately bowed. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

He was somewhat surprised; the Empress looked exceptionally radiant today.

The Empress was, in fact, a great beauty, but in previous years, her gloomy mood had created an unapproachable aura. Recently, her mood seemed to have improved significantly. It appeared that once the Crown Prince's position was secure, she had completely relaxed.

The Empress smiled and said, "Chief Commander, you are too courteous. Since you have returned, I'll leave this place to you."

Zu An, standing by, secretly sighed. Women in the palace were indeed not to be underestimated.

Bi Linglong was like this, and so was the Empress. It was a shame they weren't competing for Best Actress at the Oscars.

"I will see Your Majesty out," Zhu Xie Chixin said, following her out.

The Empress raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

The group walked out of the courtyard, and the Empress stopped. "Speak. What did you want to say to me outside?"

Zhu Xie Chixin smiled. "Your Majesty truly has keen insight..."

The Empress cut him off directly, "Spit it out."

He was the Emperor's loyal dog, and she found him irritating to look at. Moreover, her recent moment had been disturbed, so it was impossible for her to show him any kindness.

Zhu Xie Chixin was momentarily choked, but as it was the Empress, he couldn't flare up. He simply said, "Please, Your Majesty, do not disclose any details of what happened in the secret realm. His Majesty has not yet decided how to handle this matter, and everything must remain confidential."

The Empress was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized that he probably thought she had gone to see Zu An to gather information about the secret realm and then relay it to the outside Liu clan.

"Are you trying to tell me what to do?" Seeing his misunderstanding, she was too lazy to explain; in fact, this was better.

Zhu Xie Chixin quickly bowed his head and apologized, "I wouldn't dare, but His Majesty has been quite troubled by this matter recently..."

"There's no need to use the Emperor to pressure me. I know what I'm doing," she said lightly, then turned and swept away.

Watching her departure, Zhu Xie Chixin gave a wry smile. The Empress's temper had become increasingly strange over the years, and it all stemmed from the Emperor.

He returned, exchanged a few pleasantries with Zu An, and then left. Until the Emperor made a decision, he still needed to maintain a distance from these people.

Afterward, more guards came to congratulate Zu An. Clearly, the rewards from the Crown Princess and the Empress had made it clear to everyone that he was destined to be a favored figure.

After dealing with them, Zu An lay on the bed, contemplating various future possibilities, and then unknowingly fell into a deep sleep.

His days in the secret realm had been filled with constant apprehension, leaving him with very little opportunity to close his eyes.

He didn't know how long he had slept, but Zu An suddenly felt a sharp surge of alarm. He bolted upright in bed and instantly clamped down on the neck of a cloaked figure beside him, pinning them beneath him.

"What's wrong?" A familiar voice came from outside – Eunuch Lü's voice.

Zu An's heart stirred. Looking at the elegant yet alluring eyes of the person he had subdued, who else could it be but the Empress?

"Nothing, go stand guard outside," the Empress said as Zu An released his grip.

"Mmm," Eunuch Lü mumbled in response, clearly a bit disgruntled.

Zu An pulled off the cloaked figure's mask, revealing a stunning and mature face. He couldn't help but be surprised. "Why are you dressed like this?"

"Well, some people kept saying they'd come find me at Kunning Palace, but never showed up, so I had to come see for myself," the Empress replied, lying on the bed with her hands naturally raised and placed above her head, further accentuating her proud figure.

Zu An noticed her night-traveling attire, then looked out the window, realizing he had slept until late into the night.

He paused for a moment before realizing, "Your Majesty, running around like this in the middle of the night, aren't you worried about ending up in the wrong bed?"

The Empress's eyes were like silken threads. "With you in the bed, there's no way to go wrong."

Zu An inwardly marvelled at her skill. He thought that if Mi Li hadn't warned him earlier that she intended to absorb his essence to recover her cultivation, he might have truly been deceived, believing this woman was deeply in love with him.

"Then I truly thank Your Majesty for your favor," Zu An said, releasing his grip, getting out of bed, and walking to the side to pour himself a cup of tea.

Seeing that he didn't eagerly pounce on her, a flicker of surprise crossed the Empress's eyes. She casually propped herself up on her side, gazing at him. "Everyone in the palace says you're severely injured and on the brink of death, but you don't look hurt at all. Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the Emperor?"

Zu An drained the cold tea. "If you report me, I'll just tell him, 'Your wife is amazing.'"

The Empress was speechless.

Even with her self-proclaimed strong psychological defenses, she was almost utterly disarmed by his remark.

Zu An thought, *You little thing, if you knew I actually said that to the Emperor's face not long ago, you'd probably faint on the spot.*

"Your Majesty, what has been happening in the capital while I was away?" Zu An asked. As soon as he exited the secret realm, he had been brought to the palace by Zhu Xie Chixin and placed under house arrest, completely cut off from news outside the palace.

Many situations could easily lead to misjudgments if there wasn't enough information.

At present, who better than the Empress to understand what was happening both inside and outside the palace?

"Am I not beautiful enough that you still have the mind to care about such things?" the Empress snorted, but still replied, "After you entered the secret realm, it stirred the hearts of all factions. The Prince Qi's manor seems to have a well-thought-out plan, and His Majesty also appears calm and composed, as if fishing leisurely. Although I don't know their respective trump cards, I'm more inclined to believe in His Majesty. Zhao Jing cannot outmaneuver him."

Zu An nodded in deep agreement. Zhao Hao was truly a cunning old fox; he had manipulated everyone from beginning to end. If it hadn't been for the fortuitous encounter with the West Quanhill secret realm, his bones would have been cold for who knew how long by now.

The Empress then scoffed, "Later, problems arose in the secret realm. The Grand Tutor personally concluded that the elemental energies within had collapsed. Those people from Prince Qi's manor appeared heartbroken on the surface, but in reality, they were almost laughing aloud."

Clearly, as the Crown Prince's maternal family, she had no fondness for Prince Qi's faction.

"During that period, the Emperor behaved very strangely. I'd never seen him so flustered before. Although he tried his best to hide it, he might deceive others, but how could he deceive me?" the Empress stated confidently. After all, they had been husband and wife for so many years and knew each other too well.

"The Emperor has been in a very bad mood lately. Many of the young eunuchs serving him have inexplicably disappeared; I heard they were executed for minor transgressions," the Empress said, frowning. "It wasn't until you safely emerged from the secret realm that his mood improved, but only slightly. I can still sense his suppressed rage."

Zu An thought, *How could he not be angry? His split soul was inexplicably destroyed in the secret realm, and his lifelong plan for immortality was ruined.*

"Besides that? Have there been any other major events in the capital?" Zu An continued to ask.

"Your matter was the biggest one," the Empress said, somewhat puzzled as to why he persisted with this question. After a moment's thought, she continued, "Other than that, our people clashed with Prince Qi's manor several times in the academy's back mountain. With Zhu Xie Chixin absent, many were injured or killed. Young Master Chu is constantly over there, crying for his brother-in-law, acting like a woman. No wonder the Chu family has declined; they're entirely too feminine. Also, Sang Hong, the former Minister of Agriculture, has returned to the capital with his family. The Emperor trusted him greatly back then, and recently, he's been consulting with him frequently about something..."

She listed several events that had occurred in the capital recently. Each of them, compared to what happened in the secret realm, could indeed be considered insignificant.

Zu An, however, felt a stir in his heart. "Sang Hong is back."

A bright, pretty face suddenly appeared in his mind. Didn't that mean Zheng Dan was back in the capital too?

"I almost forgot you two had a past grievance," the Empress chuckled. "Sang Hong did many dirty deeds for the Emperor in previous years. It must be retribution, as he ended up without an heir. But perhaps this isn't entirely a bad thing. Before, he was a solitary official, and everyone wanted to get rid of him quickly. Now, without an heir, he's less of a threat. Plus, he has a beautiful daughter and a stunning widowed daughter-in-law, so quite a few people are making plans for them."

"Sang Hong is the Emperor's confidant, after all, and he seems to be on the rise again recently. Do those people really dare to act recklessly?" Zu An asked, somewhat confused.

The Empress explained, "Families like the Sangs, who came from humble origins, inherently lack the deep foundation of other prominent clans. Their mishandling of the Mingyue City affair dealt the Sang family a devastating blow. Moreover, for some unknown reason, the warriors the Sang family had cultivated for years also seemed to vanish overnight. Without this strength, why would the noble scions in the capital fear the Sang family?"

"Many in the capital now believe Sang Hong tacitly condones this, hoping his daughter will marry into a prestigious clan to restore the Sang family's former glory."

"Unfortunately, those noble clans aren't foolish. Sang Hong's daughter's family background is too poor, and the Sang family accumulated too many enemies in the past. No one considers marrying Miss Sang as a principal wife; they merely covet her beauty, and at best, she'd be a concubine. Many are so keen because they're hoping for a 'buy one get one free' deal, as Sang Hong's widowed daughter-in-law is an undeniable beauty."

Zu An scoffed, "You don't need to say all this to test me. The Sang family and I were fellow prisoners on our journey to the capital back then, and we formed some connections. If I can help, I naturally will."

"Hmph, I suppose you're also thinking of taking them all in," the Empress sneered, concluding that men were all scoundrels anyway.

"You're overthinking it. How could the Sang family let those petty scoundrels succeed? And as for an upright gentleman like myself, such thoughts are even more impossible," Zu An said gravely.

"You, an upright gentleman?" The Empress's expression was odd; she felt a strong urge to spray him with water.

"Cough, cough," Zu An, feeling a bit guilty, quickly changed the subject. "Have any other things happened?"

The Empress slowly began, "Yes, something strange happened at Prince Qi's manor..."

Zu An waited for a long time, but she offered no more. He couldn't help but ask, "What happened next?"

The Empress pursed her lips and smiled. "Let me tell you a story first."

Zu An was somewhat bewildered. Why would she tell a story now? But he listened patiently nonetheless.

"Once upon a time, there was a male dove and a female dove on a tree branch, and a sheep was grazing below. Not long after, a big gray wolf came and ate the sheep. What do you think the female dove said to the male dove?" The Empress's eyes flickered, her gaze mysteriously alluring.

Zu An vaguely recalled hearing this story somewhere before. He replied uncertainly, "The sheep below died?"

"That's right, the sheep... below... died," the Empress repeated, though with a slight shift in tone. Lying on her side in bed, she hooked her finger at Zu An, her eyes brimming with a seductive glimmer.

Zu An was speechless.

He instinctively uttered Hong Shixian's famous line, and then, no longer able to resist, he pounced.

Hearing the soft laughter and murmurs from within, Eunuch Lü's face twitched. Then he let out a long sigh, as if some desire had been fulfilled.

He quietly activated his aura, blocking the sounds from the room to prevent other guards from noticing anything unusual.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, Bi Linglong tossed and turned sleeplessly in bed. Her personal maid, Rong Mo, rubbed her sleepy eyes and hurried in to check. "Crown Princess, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just a bit of insomnia. You go back to rest," Bi Linglong replied.

Rong Mo mumbled in acknowledgment and yawned as she walked out.

Bi Linglong suddenly remembered something and quickly called out to her, "Oh, and no matter what sounds you hear later, don't come in again."

"Why?" Rong Mo asked, confused. Wasn't it her duty to serve the Crown Princess?

Bi Linglong's face flushed slightly. Feigning anger, she said, "I'm already having trouble sleeping. If you keep coming in and out, I'll never get any rest!"

Seeing her temper, Rong Mo stuck out her tongue and quickly said, "Alright, alright, I won't disturb Your Highness anymore."

Seeing her scurry out and deliberately close the door, Bi Linglong finally breathed a sigh of relief. She lifted the covers, looked at the latch underneath, hesitated for a long time, and then closed it.

However, after lying in bed for a while longer, she suddenly reached out and reopened the mechanism.

Thus, alternately closing and opening it, she gradually fell asleep in the long wait.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the clouds had cleared and the rain had ceased. The Empress had fine beads of sweat on her temples, and her hair was slightly damp. A joyful, sweet smile lingered on her face, especially as she felt her damaged meridians nourished and partially restored, which further improved her mood.

"You brute, you have no idea how to be gentle with women. I feel like I've become merely a tool for your release," she chided, yet there was no trace of anger in her tone.

"Don't you like it?" Zu An, too, entered a state of transcendence. Remembering the suffocating pressure of being hunted by the Emperor throughout the secret realm, he exerted himself even more, releasing all the pent-up frustration in his heart.

"You truly are a bad man," the Empress giggled foolishly. "But I like your roughness."

Perhaps young girls preferred tenderness and delicacy, but for a mature woman like her, she knew exactly what she needed.

"What exactly happened at Prince Qi's manor?" Zu An didn't want to get too emotionally entangled with her, so he directly changed the subject.

"Even at a time like this, you can't forget other matters," the Empress said, feeling a little deflated. "Fine, since you made me happy just now, I'll tell you, consider it your payment for your efforts."

Zu An's expression was odd. Looking at her proud demeanor, he thought she might as well have thrown a wad of cash at him before he left.

"Prince Qi's secondary consort suddenly fell into a pond and drowned a few days ago," the Empress said.

"How is that possible?" Zu An was startled. "What about her maids and servants?"

Although she was a concubine, she was still Prince Qi's secondary consort, served by many people. How could such a thing happen?

"The strangeness lies precisely in that. It's said she secretly went to the pond alone in the middle of the night, so she had no maids with her," the Empress said with a hint of schadenfreude. "Several theories are circulating in the capital about her death. Some say she accidentally slipped, others speculate she was caught having an affair, and some believe she was silenced because she saw a secret she shouldn't have... Which do you think it is?"

"An affair?" Zu An probed, as sneaking out alone in the middle of the night always led to speculation.

"I thought so at first too," the Empress chuckled. "But Zhao Jing is quite handsome and charming. I find it hard to believe his woman would seek an affair. And throughout Prince Qi's manor, who would dare to have an illicit relationship with the consort? This matter is definitely not simple."

Zu An's expression suddenly became peculiar. "Perhaps in the eyes of outsiders, the usually elegant and noble Empress would be even less likely to do such a thing."

"You rascal!" The Empress finally lost her composure and pounced on him, biting him hard.