Chapter 1568: Purple Mountain

Zu'an felt a little dejected. He had just gone through life-and-death struggles in the demon realm and had finally returned, hoping for a couple of peaceful days with Chu Yan. Yet, here he was, being sent on another mission. He felt more overworked than a donkey on a farm.

"Can I refuse?" Zu'an wondered. He mused that none of the tasks the emperor had assigned him in the past had been easy, so he was naturally quite reluctant.

Zhao Hao was stunned, completely unprepared for such an answer.

On normal days, his ministers wouldn't even dare to breathe heavily in his presence; how could anyone possibly bargain with him like this?

This young man's boldness has clearly grown significantly of late.

"No!" replied Zhao Hao, his fury clearly escalating.

However, since he needed Zu'an for a task, Zhao Hao suppressed his anger and stated directly, "Golden Embroidered Guard Number Seven, who was in charge of intelligence within the Yan Kingdom, has suddenly died. Zhu Xie Chixin is currently away, and the other Golden Embroidered Guards are occupied with their own responsibilities and cannot be spared. Go investigate what happened."

Zu'an immediately gleaned several key pieces of information: Zhu Xie Chixin was indeed not in the capital, and he wondered what could be keeping him away for such a long time.

He also realized that the other Golden Embroidered Guards were likely spread throughout the empire, each responsible for a specific region, handling numerous affairs daily, unlike his own relative leisure.

"Hmm, wait a minute," he thought, "why does this Golden Embroidered Guard Number Seven sound so familiar?"

He finally recalled who the person was. During the imperial envoy delegation's journey to Yunzhong Commandery, they had passed through the feudal state governed by the King of Yan. A local Golden Embroidered Guard had contacted him there, and the two had even fought alongside each other.

At the time, the man had seemed constantly worried, as if he had a premonition of some impending misfortune. He had also mentioned investigating something, but dared not speak of it carelessly due to a lack of evidence.

Now, his unexplained death strongly suggested that what he had been investigating was likely true, and he had been silenced.

Many thoughts flashed through his mind in that instant, but he did not report them to the emperor.

Regardless of his loyalty to the emperor, it was always best not to raise expectations when a matter was still so uncertain. Otherwise, any subsequent unforeseen issues could easily lead to resentment.

"Alright," Zu'an agreed. Firstly, he had once fought alongside Golden Embroidered Guard Number Seven, making them something akin to friends, so he couldn't simply stand by. Secondly, he also wanted to uncover the hidden truth behind the death, and perhaps, if he could identify any forces opposing the emperor, he might try to establish contact with them.

The emperor continued, "There is another matter. In Yi Commandery, there's a mountain called Purple Mountain. Before long, the imperial court will hold the Fengshan Sacrifices there. You are to go there in advance, make all necessary arrangements, and eliminate any potential hidden dangers."

Yi Commandery was located within the Yan Kingdom, and Purple Mountain was the most renowned mountain not only in Yi Commandery but throughout the entire empire.

The mountain earned its name because, at sunrise, its peak would be faintly shrouded in a layer of purple mist, which resonated with the auspicious saying "purple qi coming from the east."

People throughout the world believed this mountain held great treasures. However, over countless millennia, innumerable skilled individuals went to investigate, yet found nothing. Ultimately, everyone implicitly agreed that the mountain was extraordinary, a relic left by the heavens.

Royal families throughout history had made much of this, and as a result, Purple Mountain's status continuously rose, making it the undisputed choice for the Fengshan Sacrifices to Heaven.

Zu'an had heard of the mountain before, but as a transmigrator, he didn't share the same mystical reverence for Purple Mountain as the natives of this world. He was more focused on Zhao Hao's hypocrisy. Earlier, when his ministers had suggested he perform the Fengshan Sacrifices, the emperor had modestly claimed he was unworthy, yet now he was immediately ordering preparations for it.

"I'm afraid I might be overwhelmed on my own," Zu'an said, somewhat reluctantly. He would have to investigate the suspicious death of Golden Embroidered Guard Number Seven while also managing the security for the Fengshan Sacrifices—both were arduous tasks.

Zhao Hao casually tossed him a token. "All Embroidered Guard envoys in the Yan Kingdom will obey your command," he said. "Additionally, you may use this token to summon local officials for cooperation. However, remember that these local officials are subordinate to the King of Yan, so you must discern priorities and not use it lightly."

"Yes," Zu'an replied, fumbling with the token in his hand and thinking that this would make things much simpler.

Noticing Zhao Hao had fallen silent, Zu'an understood he was being dismissed. He bowed and took his leave.

He had just reached the doorway when he was suddenly called back.

"I heard you've been visiting the Empress frequently of late?"

Zu'an's heart nearly leaped into his throat; it was truly a case of what you feared most coming true. However, having weathered many storms, he quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty summoned me to inquire about matters concerning the demon race and the Unknown Land."

Zhao Hao frowned, yet couldn't find fault with the answer. Not long ago, he had questioned Zu'an about his previous intimacy with the Crown Princess. A normal person with a guilty conscience would surely be too wary to approach the Empress again. With this thought, he felt somewhat relieved.

"Understood. You may leave."

After leaving the imperial palace, Zu'an secretly wiped a bead of cold sweat from his brow. The Empress was truly an extremely dangerous woman; she might be entertaining, but consorting with her could easily cost him his life.

Shortly after leaving the imperial study, two guards approached him from a distance, calling out, "Lord Zu! Lord Zu!" Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Piao Duandiao and Jiao Sigun. Zu'an smiled, "Well, what a coincidence!"

The two immediately pulled long faces. "Coincidence? No, we specifically came here to wait for you, sir."

Zu'an paused, then pointed toward the East Palace. "Is someone looking for me from over there?"

The two hummed in affirmation. Then Piao Duandiao leaned closer to Zu'an and whispered, "The Crown Princess has been a bit ill-tempered lately, Lord Zu; you should be careful."

Jiao Sigun also whispered, "Rong Mo, the maid by the Crown Princess's side, has been spreading a lot of bad talk about you. If you don't go back and make amends soon, I'm afraid you'll face great trouble in the future."

Zu'an felt a slight warmth in his heart. These two truly considered him a friend to share such candid remarks; otherwise, if even a hint of their words leaked out, they could forget about staying in the East Palace.

Zu'an smiled. "It's fine," he said. "I'll simply go to the East Palace, and I can resolve it."

Both expressed their doubts.

Zu'an offered no explanation, simply following the two guards to the East Palace.

Following protocol, he first paid his respects to the Crown Prince, the master of the East Palace. The large, plump man, who seemed to care only for amusement, quickly dismissed him, as if worried Zu'an would cut into his playtime.

Zu'an secretly mused that ever since he had eradicated the emperor's fragmented soul from the Crown Prince during their time in the Western Quanqiu Secret Realm, the young man seemed even more foolish than before.

He soon entered the inner chambers, where Bi Linglong was seated at her desk, working. Her back was perfectly straight, and her posture was impeccably proper, exuding the dignified demeanor of a future empress.

However, a closer look would reveal a subtle detail of her posture, as if to alleviate the burden on her chest, she was discreetly resting it against the desk.

Bi Linglong appeared not to notice him, her gaze fixed on the official documents in her hands.

Zu'an didn't mind, simply watching her silently.

He didn't know how much time passed, but a faint blush gradually appeared on Bi Linglong's neck, clearly indicating she could no longer endure his intense gaze.

"Lord Zu, what great official prestige you possess," Bi Linglong said, a hint of annoyance in her voice, still without looking at him. "After all this time, you still needed someone to specifically send for you before you would come." Her hand continued to write instructions on the document.

Zu'an sighed. "I came here this time to say goodbye."

Bi Linglong was startled; the pen in her hand trembled, staining a large portion of the official document with ink. She abruptly looked up at him, her usual composure completely gone.