Chapter 956: The Worst Plan

Zu An wondered, "What's going on with her? She was just smiling, and now she's suddenly turned hostile?"

However, he was quick-witted. "In a way, I am representing the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace on this mission to Cloud-Midst Commandery. As I will be gone for quite a while, I came to pay my respects to His Royal Highness, the Crown Princess, and the Crown Prince's concubines before my departure, to receive their teachings and see if they have any instructions for me."

The Empress gasped, taken aback. She had intended to seize the opportunity to reprimand him, but he had reacted far too quickly.

Seizing the moment, Zu An said, "If Your Majesty has no further instructions, I will take my leave now. I still need to prepare for my journey to Cloud-Midst Commandery."

"Lord Zu is indeed a loyal and dedicated public servant, truly devoted to His Majesty." Seeing him use official duties as an excuse, the Empress was highly displeased and retorted sarcastically.

"Your Majesty, you flatter me; this is merely my duty." Zu An's face reddened. He knew he was far from being truly loyal to the Emperor in any sense, and the Empress was perfectly aware of this.

The Empress felt a surge of irritation, itching to retort, "Is 'tilling the soil' on this Empress also part of your duty?" However, with palace maids present, her rationality ultimately prevailed. "It is fortunate for His Majesty to have a minister like you to share his burdens. You may go now."

Rage points from Liu Ning: +358, +358, +358…

Zu An inwardly clicked his tongue, thinking that the fury of a lonely young woman was indeed formidable.

Naturally, he said nothing more and quickly departed.

Watching Zu An avoid her as if she were a plague, the Empress lost all desire to linger. Her face ashen, she returned to her chambers.

After dismissing the palace maids and eunuchs, she turned to Eunuch Lü, who stood nearby, and asked, "Little Lüzi, have I grown old and lost my charm?"

Eunuch Lü immediately showered her with praise. "Your Majesty is in the prime of your beauty, unparalleled in elegance. If you lack charm, then surely no woman in the entire world possesses it."

The Empress snorted. "If that's true, then why does that man avoid me so vehemently? As if I would devour him whole."

Eunuch Lü replied, "Perhaps Lord Zu has his reservations. After all, this is within the imperial palace; should he make even the slightest mistake, it would be his end."

"If I'm not afraid, what does he have to fear?" the Empress retorted, quite annoyed.

Eunuch Lü looked at her with a hint of grievance. He thought to himself that the Empress had never been one to take the initiative, yet this time she had sought Zu An out repeatedly. It must be that the man truly possessed extraordinary talents, leaving her craving for more.

The thought left his heart feeling both bitter and strange. Ultimately, he forced himself to praise the Empress's beauty effusively, hoping to lift her spirits.

However, after a moment, the Empress impatiently waved her hand. "Enough, enough! These same old compliments have been repeated for years. If you're not tired of them, I certainly am. You may leave."

Eunuch Lü was truly at a loss for words, wanting to cry but unable to. Zu An was utterly cold towards her, yet she still put on a smiling face and approached him. Meanwhile, he had always cared for her and attended to her needs, only to be treated in such a manner.

Yet, after so many years, he had grown accustomed to it. Though a moment of hurt and anger flashed through him, his irritation quickly vanished. He bowed to her and silently withdrew.

***

On the eve of the imperial envoy team's departure, Zu An deliberately remained in the palace. Using the secret passage at the bottom of the well, he made his way to the vicinity of Bi Linglong's chambers.

Hearing a faint tapping sound, Bi Linglong, who had been lying in bed, instantly snatched the short sword by her side. She peered warily beneath the bed, then, after a moment's hesitation, activated a mechanism and entered a secret chamber. "Who's there?" she called out.

"It's me!" Zu An responded from the other side of the wall.

Hearing Zu An's voice, Bi Linglong secretly breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her short sword. Still, her voice remained frosty. "Do you realize that breaking into my chambers so late at night is a grave crime, punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family? Considering your contributions to the Crown Prince, I will give you one chance. Now, leave immediately!"

Zu An fell silent. This woman certainly held a grudge; after all this time, she still hadn't let go of her resentment.

He could only say, "I'm leaving tomorrow."

On the other side, Bi Linglong remained silent for a long moment before finally responding, "And what of it?"

Zu An sighed. "The disappearance of the Duke of Cloud-Midst Commandery is an exceedingly complex case, involving powerful forces. Someone is undoubtedly trying to prevent me from uncovering the truth. When I'm so far from the capital, it's uncertain if I'll return alive. That's why I wished to see you specifically before I depart, to avoid any lifelong regrets."

Shortly after he finished speaking, the secret chamber door creaked open. Bi Linglong stood before him, her face etched with frost. "You haven't even departed yet, why speak such inauspicious words?"

Zu An offered a faint smile. "It seems you still care about me after all."

"Hmph!" Bi Linglong scoffed. "Who cares if you live or die?"

With that, she turned to close the secret chamber door.

Zu An was no insensitive bookworm; at this moment, he certainly wouldn't allow her to close the door. With a swift stride, he darted inside.

"What are you doing!" Bi Linglong exclaimed, startled, and took a step back. "If you don't leave, I'll call for help!"

Zu An gazed into her eyes. "Even if you call people to have me executed by a thousand cuts, I will not have a single complaint."

Bi Linglong felt both embarrassed and flustered by his brazen demeanor. "How can you be so shameless!"

Zu An seized the opportunity to pull her into his embrace, whispering, "Are you only just realizing that now?"

"Let me go!" Bi Linglong stammered, flustered, her hands batting frantically as she tried to push him away.

Sensing that her hands were not infused with any elemental energy, Zu An was certainly not foolish enough to release her.

Bi Linglong struggled for a while, her strength gradually diminishing. Their lips drew closer and closer, eventually pressing tightly together.

This time, Zu An was incredibly gentle. Bi Linglong clearly felt his affection, and her body grew increasingly pliant.

***

After an indeterminate amount of time, Bi Linglong lay in his arms, her face flushed crimson. Her slender fingers traced slow circles on his chest. "You're really annoying," she murmured.

Her voice had lost its usual cold aloofness, now filled instead with a playful, almost childlike coyness.

"Didn't you quite enjoy it just now?" Zu An teased with a mischievous smile.

Incensed, Bi Linglong bit him hard on the shoulder. This man always humiliated her so, yet deep down, she seemed to find a strange pleasure in it. The thought infuriated her, making her want to unleash all the frustration within.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Zu An pleaded repeatedly. Their bodies pressed close, and soon their breaths grew heated once more.

"No~" Bi Linglong stammered, a little flustered. After all, she was still a young woman, and how could she long withstand his body, honed by countless trials?

Zu An smiled, gently kissed her cheek, and made no further moves. Instead, he thoughtfully held her close. "Linglong, you must properly cultivate your essence to replenish your depleted lifespan. If you delay too long, I worry about lasting damage. Seeing your snow-white hair truly pains my heart."

Hearing his words, Bi Linglong's cheeks flushed. "What kind of strange cultivation technique is this? It always feels... improper."

"How can something that saves lives be considered improper?" Zu An said earnestly.

"Do you mean you'll use this method every time you save someone in the future?" Bi Linglong's eyebrows shot up.

"Of course not!" Zu An mentally added, *I wouldn't possibly save a man this way.*

Only then did Bi Linglong relax. "By the way, you must be extremely cautious on your journey to Cloud-Midst Commandery. The Jian family's influence there is immense, and the Yu family is also deeply entrenched. The disappearance of the former Duke of Cloud-Midst Commandery is highly suspicious. I strongly suspect it was an inside job by someone within the Jian family, or perhaps even a conspiracy between the Jian family and the Duke of Cloud-Midst Commandery's wife to harm him."

Zu An inwardly admired her, thinking that Bi Linglong was indeed an excellent Crown Princess, capable of subtly deducing part of the truth with only limited clues.

As for her suggestion of the Duchess's involvement in a conspiracy, a figure of peerless beauty flashed through his mind, and he instinctively dismissed the idea as impossible.

Seemingly noticing his dismissive reaction, Bi Linglong frowned and warned, "As one of the founding ducal families, the Jian family, much like your Chu family in Brightmoon City, maintains its own private army. Furthermore, due to Cloud-Midst Commandery's unique status and the Yu family's backing, the Jian family has not been weakened by the imperial court in the same way the Chu family has. Therefore, even if you uncover something there, do not act with undue haste. Otherwise, if you corner them, it's likely that few, if any, of your entire imperial envoy team will return alive."

Zu An was startled. "Are you saying they might even dare to rebel?"

Bi Linglong replied, "Mainly, I've accessed various intelligence reports from Cloud-Midst Commandery over the years. The forces there are intricately complex, and the imperial court's control is quite limited. Nothing that happens there would truly surprise me. For your own safety, you must prepare for the worst."