Chapter 1563: Lying in the Line of Fire

Just as he was at a loss for what to do, a chubby young eunuch suddenly came running to deliver a message. It was Xiao Zhuozi, the eunuch serving the Empress, who said that Her Majesty had summoned Lord Zu for something.

Normally, Zu An dreaded the Empress's invitations like a viper, but this time, he was overjoyed. He eagerly agreed and followed Xiao Zhuozi away.

Fearing that Bi Linglong would find a way to keep him, Zu An practically dragged Xiao Zhuozi as he ran out.

Bi Linglong rushed over upon hearing the news, but he was nowhere to be found. Infuriated, she swept all the documents off the nearby table with a flick of her sleeve.

At this moment, Rong Mo, standing by, added fuel to the fire. "This Zu fellow is so ungrateful," she said. "Has he forgotten who promoted him? He's a traitor!"

"Shut up!" Bi Linglong suddenly turned and glared at her. "Slap yourself!"

"Huh?" Rong Mo was instantly dumbfounded. What was wrong with the Crown Princess? She wondered why she was getting scolded for helping her curse someone.

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhuozi hadn't quite recovered even by the time they reached the Empress's bedchamber. He was still dazed; he'd never run so fast in his life.

"Thank you, Brother Xiao Zhuozi!" Zu An cupped his hands to him, then walked straight into the palace.

Xiao Zhuozi's eyes immediately welled up with tears. As a young eunuch, he had been bullied countless times in the palace since childhood. Yet, Lord Zu, now a marquis, still treated him the same way, not like a servant, but like a person.

Such a good person was surely destined for good fortune.

Zu An entered the bedchamber. Today, the Empress was dressed in casual clothes, which did nothing to conceal her mature figure. As she walked, a wave-like sway followed her, the rhythmic sway of her waist and hips exuding a charm that young maidens could hardly match.

Seeing Zu An arrive, the Empress was somewhat surprised. "Oh, you came so quickly."

Having just escaped the "sea of suffering," Zu An was in a much better mood. "What are you saying, Your Majesty?" he replied. "With your imperial decree, how could I dare not come?"

"Hmph," the Empress scoffed, not falling for his words. "I've summoned you several times before, and you always made excuses, even failing to show up at all in the end."

Clearly, she still harbored a lot of resentment about that.

Zu An chuckled awkwardly, not dwelling on the matter. "By the way, why did Your Majesty suddenly summon me? Things are tense right now, and my frequent visits here might be inappropriate."

The Empress stretched languidly, her exquisite figure fully revealed. "Don't worry," she purred, "I've looked into it these past two days. Zhao Hao's energy should primarily be focused on dealing with King Qi, so he probably won't have time to worry about other matters."

"Then how does Your Majesty think things will unfold next?" Zu An seized the opportunity to ask. After all, she was a member of the imperial family from a powerful clan, and her perspective was far beyond that of ordinary people.

The Empress gestured for him to sit down and even poured him a cup of tea before speaking. "What developments could there be? King Qi definitely won't leave the capital obediently. He'll most likely find some excuse to stay put, like feigning illness, and then plot other schemes."

"You don't seem worried?" Zu An was surprised by her composure.

"What is there to worry about?" The Empress looked in the direction of the Imperial Study, her expression incredibly complex. "Although I have some grievances against that man because of certain things, I must admit he is the strongest in the world and has never been defeated." Zu An's expression was peculiar; he thought to himself that the man had been defeated once in the Secret Realm of Xi Quanqu, but of course, he couldn't say that out loud.

"No, wait," the Empress suddenly chuckled sweetly. "In a certain aspect, he was indeed defeated by you."

Zu An's heart warmed. Mature women were indeed active and passionate, completely unlike the shyness of young girls.

He recalled how, in his previous life, married women in the office could make men blush with their jokes.

Seeing his peculiar gaze, the Empress gave him a flirtatious wink. "Don't worry," she purred, "I didn't call you here to 'eat' you this time. I haven't even finished refining what you left inside me last time."

Zu An was speechless.

"Then what did Your Majesty call me here for?"

"I heard your little wife came to the capital? How about you bring her into the palace so I can take a look?" the Empress asked curiously. "I've heard many rumors these past two days, praising her as a fairy. I'd like to see how she has grown."

Zu An broke into a cold sweat. "I think it's better not to," he said. "It's not very convenient."

What a joke! People usually avoid having the women of the imperial harem meet to prevent a "shura field." He'd have to be crazy to agree to such a thing.

"What, are you afraid I'll reveal our relationship to her? Don't worry, I'm not that foolish. If you don't want to, then don't." The Empress didn't press the matter. "Then tell me about your relationship with her. When did you two get together? When was the first time you slept together? Can her small frame withstand your beastly tossing and turning? Even I can barely take it..."

Zu An was speechless.

What wild words these were.

After finally managing to leave the Empress, Zu An didn't dare return to the Eastern Palace. He hastily exited the palace, figuring he'd wait until Bi Linglong's anger subsided in a few days.

He originally intended to head home, but then noticed many people nearby glancing in a particular direction.

His heart stirred. Following their gaze, he saw an elegant figure in an ice-blue long dress standing under a tree. Who else could it be but Chu Chuyan!

He rushed over in delight. "Chuyan, weren't you cultivating at home?"

Chu Chuyan looked at him, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I don't know why, but it used to be easy to enter a meditative state when cultivating at the sect, but now my heart can barely quiet down. So I came to wait outside the palace, hoping to see you sooner."

Hearing the affectionate tone from her, who was usually reserved, Zu An burst out laughing, taking her hand and striding away, leaving behind a trail of envious, jealous, and hateful gazes from those around them.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess was alone in her room. On the table was a mirror, clearly displaying the image of Zu An and Chu Chuyan holding hands.

The imperial palace was surrounded by special magic formations, normally used to monitor the surroundings. Given Bi Linglong's status, obtaining access to them was not difficult.

Seeing Chu Chuyan's ethereal beauty, Bi Linglong was also a little lost in thought, thinking, *No wonder that guy ran away so quickly.*

However, what made her very uncomfortable was the intimate scene between the two of them. This was something she had always dreamed of, but she knew that with her status, she could probably never openly display affection with Zu An like a couple in the streets. Slam!

She flipped the mirror face down onto the table, her face devoid of any expression.

Meanwhile, Zu An and Chu Chuyan proceeded directly to the Imperial Academy according to their predetermined plan.

Chu Chuyan was initially prepared to announce their arrival and wait, but Zu An simply pulled her directly towards the back mountain. The guards along the way did not stop them, and many even nodded to him in greeting.

Chu Chuyan was somewhat surprised. "Oh, your popularity here seems quite good."

She had visited the capital once before and naturally knew how arrogant the Imperial Academy was, especially the back mountain area, which was like a forbidden zone. For an outsider to enter without an invitation was not just incredibly difficult, but nearly impossible.

"Of course, your husband is just naturally likable," Zu An chuckled.

Chu Chuyan was about to laugh and scold him playfully, but then she remembered the endless stream of admirers around him and couldn't help but frown slightly.

Just then, the sound of clashing weapons suddenly came from ahead. Both were surprised. How could there be fighting in such a peaceful place as the academy's back mountain?

Upon closer inspection, they found that the combatants were two beautiful young women. They didn't seem to be sparring; it looked more like a fight to the death. They even cursed at each other occasionally.

From what they could gather, it seemed two women had simultaneously fallen in love with the same man. This man was handsome, highly cultivated, and the most perfect man in the world. They were cursing each other, calling the other a shameless tramp for seducing "their" man, and complaining that they hadn't seen their beloved in ages...

Chu Chuyan thoughtfully looked at Zu An. Connecting it with his familiarity with the academy, it was clear he frequently visited this place.

Zu An immediately broke into a cold sweat. "This has nothing to do with me!" he exclaimed.

Just then, the two young women on the other side truly ignited, launching their ultimate moves at each other's vital points. Their cultivation levels were evenly matched, and it looked like they would both perish.

With a light step and a flick of her sleeve, Chuyan knocked away both their swords. "Why bother yourselves over a mere man?" she said.

The two women were shocked by her cultivation, but hearing her words, they couldn't help but point at Zu An, who was not far away, and retorted, "It's easy for you to say. If someone tried to steal your man, would you just hand him over?"

Chu Chuyan was stunned. Many names flashed through her mind: Qiu Honglei, Zheng Dan, Qiao Xueying...

For a moment, a mix of emotions welled up within her.

Zu An secretly thought, *This isn't good.* He quickly stepped forward and said, "Ladies, please don't be angry. From what you just said, it seems you haven't seen your beloved for a long time. Instead of fighting to the death, why don't you sit down and talk properly? Who exactly wronged you? I'll help you find that unfaithful man and settle the score."

"Bah, *you're* the unfaithful man! How dare you insult our Brother Xiu!" The two girls simultaneously raised their swords and lunged at him.

Zu An: "???"