Chapter 1552: Warning

Zu An was unaware that a crisis was imminent. At that moment, he felt utterly bewildered. He had just entered the inner hall, admiring how exquisitely made up, radiant, and noble the Crown Princess looked every time he saw her, when he suddenly received a continuous stream of rage points.

Rage points from Bi Linglong: 333333…

Although the numerical value wasn't particularly high, it just wouldn't stop, persisting continuously.

He really wanted to ask Bi Linglong what she was angry about, but with palace maids serving in the inner hall, it wasn't appropriate to speak.

"Greetings, Crown Princess!" Zu An bowed.

"There's no need for formalities, Sir Zu," Bi Linglong said, gesturing dismissively with her hand. Her expression and body language were unchanged from usual.

Rage points from Bi Linglong: 333333…

Except for that!

Zu An even wondered, "Could she have found out about me spending the night at the Sang family's residence yesterday?"

What followed was a very formal exchange. Bi Linglong praised his immense contributions during his diplomatic mission to Cloud-Midst Prefecture, and at the same time expressed sympathy and condolences for the delegation's misfortunes in Silkworm City.

Zu An naturally expressed his gratitude. The entire process was like an assembly line; both knew it was empty rhetoric, but in front of others, it had to be this way.

After a while, Bi Linglong inquired about Zu An's time among the demon race. Just as Zu An was about to answer, she stopped him and then instructed her personal maid, Rong Mo, to take the others outside to stand guard.

Rong Mo's small mouth was pursed so tightly one could hang a kettle from it. Of course, she knew the Crown Princess and Zu An had confidential matters to discuss, and it wasn't appropriate for servants to overhear.

While it was fine for ordinary palace maids, now even she had to withdraw?

Before Zu An arrived, she had been the Crown Princess's most trusted confidante; the Crown Princess virtually never hid anything from her. But now, many matters were being kept from her.

Was this Zu An fellow here to compete for favor with her?

Although displeased, she dared not defy the Crown Princess's wishes. She led the other palace maids outside, standing guard behind a beaded curtain. Palace rules dictated that they could not allow the Crown Princess to be completely alone in a room with an outsider.

But this distance was sufficient for the two inside. Zu An, with his back to the outside, smiled at Bi Linglong: "What are you so angry about?"

"I'm not angry. Which eye did you see me being angry with?" Bi Linglong said coldly.

Rage points from Bi Linglong: 515151…

Zu An chuckled, "Every eye can see it."

Bi Linglong's expression stiffened. After a long silence, she finally said, "You were with the delegation for so long, why did you never write to me?"

Zu An suddenly understood. So this was why.

"You are the Crown Princess, after all. Wouldn't writing to you put you in harm's way?"

Bi Linglong frowned, "I wasn't asking you to write personal letters. Even if it were official correspondence, detailing what you saw and heard along the way would have conveyed your thoughtfulness. But apart from one time at the very beginning, you never wrote to the Eastern Palace again."

"Mainly, there were too many things happening along the way later on, and I didn't have time to write letters," Zu An said, taking a sharp breath. To be honest, he really had forgotten about it later.

"Oh, in that case, Sir Zu, please tell me exactly what major events you encountered along the way that kept you so incredibly busy you couldn't even write a letter," Bi Linglong sneered.

"I don't know any 'Myriad Affairs'," Zu An thought, finding even her tantrum adorable. Not bothered, he immediately began recounting the various events that had occurred along the journey.

Although Bi Linglong had already learned about the delegation's journey from various intelligence reports and official documents, hearing him recount many previously unknown details, she found herself engrossed without realizing it.

When she heard about some dangerous situations, she gasped in alarm, feeling tense. There was no longer any room for anger.

"Oh, right, these are some trinkets I specifically brought for you." As Zu An spoke, he took out some small gifts from his Glazed Pearl. They weren't particularly valuable; after all, as the Crown Princess, she had seen all kinds of rare treasures. However, these trinkets were quite distinctive, almost all closely related to the local customs.

As expected, Bi Linglong's previously stern face completely broke into a smile. She meticulously picked through the small gifts, asking where each one came from and what cultural stories were associated with them. Zu An answered each question, secretly relieved that he had actually prepared, otherwise, he might not have been able to "complete his mission" this time.

After a moment, Bi Linglong picked up several beautiful brocade boxes: "Oh, are these rouge and powder?"

"Yes, these are from Rouge Orchid, the most famous brand in Cloud-Midst Prefecture. They're extremely popular there, and their style is quite different from what we have in the capital," Zu An replied. He had originally bought ten sets, but by coincidence, he hadn't managed to give them away on several attempts. So far, he had only given one set to Tang Tian'er from Xiaoyao Tower.

"How does a big man like you know so much about rouge and powder? I suppose some female confidante helped you choose them, didn't she?" Bi Linglong looked at him suspiciously.

Zu An thought to himself that this Rouge Orchid was truly cursed; every time he tried to give it away, there was trouble. But he reacted quickly, immediately explaining: "Of course, I don't understand them, so I just asked the shopkeeper to give me the whole set."

Only then did Bi Linglong relax. She opened several of the small jars and sniffed them, commenting, "They truly have a unique, exotic style, quite different from what we have in the capital. It's a shame I can't use them."

"Why not?" Zu An was stunned. He wondered if he should just throw away all these Rouge Orchid cosmetics; why were they always impossible to give away?

"As the Crown Princess, everything I use daily has a detailed quota set by the palace. If I suddenly started using a type of rouge and powder I've never had before, I wouldn't be able to hide it from my maids. By then, I certainly couldn't say you brought them for me from Cloud-Midst Prefecture, could I?" Bi Linglong sighed softly.

Zu An thought to himself that she had a point. It was acceptable for an outsider to give other gifts to the Crown Princess, but rouge and powder were indeed too intimate.

"My apologies, I didn't think this through. I'll take these back." Zu An decided he would just throw them away once he left; these things were practically cursed, always impossible to give away.

Who knew Bi Linglong would snatch them away? "Who said I don't want them? Even if I can't use them openly, keeping them as a memento is good."

Seeing this, Zu An couldn't help but smile. The young woman, fearing his disappointment, could be so thoughtful. "Oh, by the way, what exactly happened in that Unknowable Land?" Bi Linglong asked casually, but she was very nervous inside. After all, the aura surrounding the Unknowable Land was too significant; to some extent, it was considered highly classified information, which currently only the Emperor was privy to.

Zu An didn't hesitate for a moment. He immediately started telling her, naturally omitting the parts about his interactions with his female confidantes.

Seeing that he indeed didn't disappoint her, her eyes immediately curved like crescent moons.

In this way, an hour passed. Although Bi Linglong was somewhat reluctant, she could only let him leave. After all, having an outsider accompany her for so long was already pushing the limits.

Not long after Zu An left the Eastern Palace, he suddenly stopped. "Since Concubine Bai is here, why don't you show yourself?"

At that moment, a delicate figure stepped out from behind a rockery. Her slender eyebrows were exquisitely refined and graceful. With a dainty, upturned nose and and small, cherry-like lips, her entire being was like a small white flower in the cold wind, with a timid and fragile demeanor.

"How did you know it was me?" Concubine Bai's voice was incredibly soft and sweet, and her face showed considerable surprise. After all, she possessed a special stealth technique. Although she hadn't intentionally used it just now, she shouldn't have been discovered so easily.

Zu An smiled slightly: "The unique fragrance on Your Highness, like that of a Hundred Flowers Fairy, makes it quite difficult not to notice you."

"Sir Zu, you truly are audacious." Concubine Bai's face flushed slightly. She, of course, didn't believe he recognized her by scent; he was merely teasing her intentionally.

"You wrong me, Your Highness! The sachet you gave me last time was immensely helpful. I'm too grateful to even think of being audacious towards you." The sachet she gave him was very useful for concealing one's cultivation level; it had helped him greatly back then. Of course, his current situation no longer required it, but gratitude was still due. He was even wondering if he should give her a set of Rouge Orchid cosmetics too.

Concubine Bai smiled, her lips pursed, clearly accustomed to his way of speaking. "We can discuss other matters later. I came to find you this time about something important. Did you offend Eunuch Wen somewhere?"

"Eunuch Wen?" Zu An was startled. "No, why do you ask?"

"I accidentally discovered that he seems to be looking for someone to investigate you. And just now, he seemed to be observing you from nearby. I deliberately went over to talk to him to buy you some time, though I don't know if it helped much." Concubine Bai looked at him with an amused expression, as if worried, yet also as if watching a play.

Zu An's heart tightened. Although she spoke lightly, being able to know Eunuch Wen's movements meant this woman seemed less weak and helpless than she appeared.

But the key was, why would Eunuch Wen be monitoring him?

He was still not very familiar with the palace; he couldn't remember the faces of some minor eunuchs. Even if he noticed someone nearby, he wouldn't think much of it.

Eunuch Wen, on the other hand, was someone he frequently encountered in the palace. So, although he had sensed his presence nearby earlier, he hadn't felt anything unusual. Now, with Concubine Bai's reminder, he suddenly realized something was amiss.