Chapter 1955: Self-Conquest

"I gave Xiao Xi so many life-saving elixirs, and she's resourceful, so she should be fine," Ji Dengtu muttered to himself. But the wine in front of him suddenly lost its appeal. Eventually, he couldn't sit still. With a flash, he darted towards the city gates.

A moment later, a flamboyant madam, twisting her somewhat plump waist, said, "Old brother, I heard you don't fancy young ladies. Do you want me to personally—" She froze mid-sentence, staring at a table strewn with peanut shells and overturned wine cups. Not a soul was in sight. Soon, a shrill cry echoed through the room: "That damn freeloader!" A nearby young attendant weakly interjected, "He didn't seem to order a girl... so it doesn't count as... freeloading, right?" "Don't I know that, you blabbermouth!" the madam snapped. "When you enter our Red Sleeve Pavilion, isn't drinking wine part of the bill?"

Meanwhile, on the back mountain of the academy, after seeing the Empress off, Zu'an couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions. He used to envy the protagonists of harem novels, but now he understood that their lives weren't easy either. Having too many women around, especially when they came one after another, was quite taxing on the body. Luckily, he cultivated the Primordial Chaos Scripture, which had tempered his body to be exceptionally strong. He wondered how ordinary people managed such situations.

He shook his head, dispelling these chaotic thoughts. He decided to visit the imperial prison. Both Bi Linglong and Liu Ning had told him the same thing, and it was better to resolve it as soon as possible, especially since Zhao Xiaodie knew about his relationships with Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen.

It wasn't long before he arrived near the imperial prison. After all, Zhao Xiaodie was a princess of Qi, and imprisoning her in the imperial prison without a conviction would have too negative an impact. Therefore, she was temporarily under house arrest in a residence beside the prison. These places were specifically designed to house distinguished female relatives. After all, the imperial prison was a filthy place, and if the jailers there were to cause trouble, it would be embarrassing for everyone involved.

Sensing someone approaching, guards quickly stepped forward to block him. "Unauthorized personnel..." they began, but mid-sentence, they finally recognized Zu'an's appearance and were startled. Their voices trembled as they stammered, "Greetings, Regent. This humble one must be blind..."

Zu'an was taken aback. "You know me?" He had come in a hurry, without attendants or official robes, and had been worried about encountering trouble.

"Your Highness must be joking. Who doesn't recognize you now?" the guards replied with ingratiating smiles. "Your portrait is the hottest selling item on the streets."

Previously, many prominent figures in the capital might not have recognized him, even as a marquis and a favored figure in the Eastern Palace. After all, there were too many people with good backgrounds and family connections in the capital, and few paid attention to a newly rising young man. But after the battle with the Meng clan, who didn't recognize him?

"My portrait?" Zu'an had asked casually, but hearing this, he couldn't help but stop.

The guards' faces were full of fawning smiles. "Ordinary folks buy them back, saying they can ward off evil and prevent being bullied by powerful officials and nobles." "As for the powerful officials and nobles, they buy them back to..." "Buy them back for what?" Zu'an asked curiously. "To make them remember the Regent's face," the guards explained, tripping over each other's words, "to discipline their own nephews and sons, warning them that they can be as unruly as they want normally, but they absolutely must not offend you if they ever encounter you."

Zu'an was speechless. *What the hell? They're selling my portraits and not even paying me royalties.* *If everyone recognizes me from now on, how will I ever 'act like a pig to eat a tiger' (feign weakness to trap an opponent)?* The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was off, and he decided that once he returned, he would order the Embroidered Uniform Envoys to seize any related businesses.

He entered Zhao Xiaodie's room with a dark expression. The colorful-clad girl in the room, who had been staring blankly out the window, was startled by his sudden entry. Only after recognizing him did she pat her chest and say, "Oh, it's Brother Zu'an! You scared me." Although she forced a smile, her beautiful face still showed weariness and emotional exhaustion. Zu'an gestured for her to sit. "I came to check on you. Has anyone bullied you on your way here?" "With my status here, who would dare? Besides, with Brother Zu'an protecting me, no one would ever touch me," Zhao Xiaodie said with a smile. "Brother Zu'an, did you come here today because the court has reached a conclusion on how to deal with our Prince Qi's residence?"

Zu'an nodded. "Indeed. The things you were worried about won't happen. The court has decided to handle this matter discreetly, and will even restore your father's reputation, treating it as if he, along with the others, met with an accident in the secret realm." In the end, he didn't claim credit for this, as Bi Linglong and Liu Ning had advised, feeling it would be somewhat despicable.

Zhao Xiaodie, who had been incredibly anxious, was instantly overjoyed and burst into tears upon hearing this. "Brother Zu'an, am I dreaming?" "Of course, it's true." Seeing her jumping with joy, Zu'an couldn't help but smile. "Of course, your Prince Qi's residence will no longer have its former power."

After a while of frolicking, Zhao Xiaodie finally calmed down slightly and bowed respectfully to Zu'an. "Brother Zu'an, thank you. My father committed such a heinous crime, yet our Prince Qi's residence is still fine. It must be because you put in a great effort for me at court. I have no way to repay such immense kindness, so if Brother Zu'an doesn't mind, I am willing to offer myself..."

"Ahem, that's really not necessary," Zu'an quickly interrupted her.

"Brother Zu'an, I'm serious," Zhao Xiaodie mumbled. Her heart was indeed filled with gratitude. She had originally thought that after the events at Purple Mountain, even if Prince Qi's residence wasn't annihilated, they would surely face perpetual imprisonment or even secret execution. Yet, the current outcome was merely a reduction in their wealth and glory. How could this be possible without help? One must remember that the Crown Princess had been at odds with Prince Qi's residence for so many years and certainly wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity to further their downfall. And the Empress, who was also a formidable figure in her younger days, didn't have a good relationship with her father either. She wondered what price Brother Zu'an had paid to help her. Thinking of this, her eyes immediately shimmered with tears.

"Just don't threaten me with baseless rumors anymore," Zu'an said with a smile. Zhao Xiaodie's pretty face flushed red. She knew he was referring to when she had threatened him using Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue. "Brother Zu'an, I was desperate back then, with no other choice, which is why I did something so foolish. I won't do it again. Actually, I've realized something these past few days. If I had truly encountered a ruthless person, they would have secretly silenced me long ago. Only Brother Zu'an genuinely helped me; you're truly kind to me. This humble girl has no way to repay you, so I can only..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Zu'an broke out in a cold sweat. *What on earth is this woman doing? She immediately wants to offer herself to me, even though she's a dignified princess.* "I have other important matters to attend to. Please bear with staying here for a couple more days; you should regain your freedom soon."

Watching him flee, Zhao Xiaodie caressed her cheek, her face filled with infatuation. "Even running away, he's so handsome. Oh, I wish he'd give me another good spanking..." Recalling the time he had spanked her, Zhao Xiaodie couldn't help but twitch her legs, her face already flushed crimson.

In the imperial prison, Guan Chouhai saw Zu'an and couldn't help but sigh. "Is Lord Zu here to take my life?" Zu'an sat down opposite him. "Sect Master Guan, why are you so disheartened?"

"I was full of vigor on Purple Mountain, but unfortunately, too much has happened since then." Guan Chouhai's heart was a turbulent sea. So many masters had besieged Zhao Hao back then, only to be easily crushed by him. Later, he went to that wondrous secret realm and witnessed even more powerful beings. Sect masters like Xuan Bajing, who were usually evenly matched, were harvested like dogs. Now, he was imprisoned, his future uncertain. How could he not be disheartened?

"Lord Zu, the Purple Mountain incident was my sole involvement; it has nothing to do with the sect. I hope Lord Zu will consider our past acquaintance and lend some assistance."

"You make it sound like you're giving your last will and testament," Zu'an said with a chuckle. "Rest assured, this matter is over. You will all be fine. Of course, while the death penalty can be avoided, you can't escape living punishment. The court will likely still impose corresponding penalties, but they should be within your capacity to bear."

"Really?" Guan Chouhai was dumbfounded. Assassinating an emperor was a grave crime of treason in any dynasty. Given this outcome, any penalty would be negligible.

"Of course, it's true," Zu'an said with a smile. Guan Chouhai hastily bowed respectfully to Zu'an. "Lord Zu's immense kindness is something Guan, along with everyone in Li Hentian, will never forget!"

Zu'an gently helped him up. "Sect Master Guan, there's no need for such a grand gesture. Stability is paramount for the court right now. Having lost several top masters recently, it cannot afford any more turmoil."

Guan Chouhai, however, sighed with emotion. "Lord Zu bestows favors without seeking repayment; such noble character and demeanor truly leave Guan utterly convinced."

Zu'an was bewildered. *Why do both master and disciple love to overthink things so much?*

At this point, Guan Chouhai continued, "Earlier, some jailers were whispering nearby. They thought I couldn't hear them, but they didn't know that I am, after all, a Grandmaster. Even with some restrictions on me, how could I be like an ordinary person? They were discussing how the court would deal with us, saying how enraged the Crown Princess was about our assassination attempt on the Emperor. She wanted to execute me to appease the world and also vigorously rectify the Daoist sects, implying that Li Hentian would likely cease to exist. Then, later, another group of people arrived. They spoke of how deeply the Empress and Emperor loved each other, and how furious she was that we had killed her husband. She had declared in court that she wanted us to suffer a fate worse than death, using this opportunity to completely eradicate the Daoist sects." After speaking, he cast a lingering, fearful glance at Zu'an. "Currently, the Empress and the Crown Princess wield the most power in the capital. Only Lord Zu could persuade them. How could I not express my gratitude for such immense kindness?"

Zu'an was speechless. From his tone, it seemed both Bi Linglong and Liu Ning had each sent a group of people to subtly influence them, creating the illusion that their salvation was entirely due to him. *These two women are really thoughtful in planning for me, but their mutual slander is just something else...*

At this point, Guan Chouhai took a ring off his finger. "This storage ring contains treasures I've accumulated over many years. I hope Lord Zu will accept it; otherwise, I won't feel at ease. Once Guan returns to Li Hentian, there will surely be further substantial rewards." The atmosphere had been built up to this point; if he didn't accept it now, he would be letting down the good intentions and arrangements of the two women.

After leaving the imperial prison and returning to the academy, Zu'an's thoughts drifted, and he walked towards Jiang Luofu's courtyard. He had prepared a portion of the Marrow Cleansing Pills he previously refined for both her and Ji Xiaoxi, and today was a good time to deliver them. Speaking of which, Ji Dengtu had said last time that Xiao Xi went herb gathering. Why hadn't she returned after so long? He'd have to properly ask Jiang Luofu, her aunt, about it later.