Chapter 2622: Difficult-to-Suppress Thoughts

“The Imperial Grandson? Where did this Imperial Grandson come from?” Zu An didn't react immediately.

“That would be the son of Crown Prince’s concubine, Consort Bai, from all those years ago,” Sang Qian explained. “He’s the Crown Prince’s only bloodline, truly legitimate, and since the Crown Prince later became Emperor, his influence within the Zhao imperial family is still very strong.”

Zu An frowned. Consort Bai...

Back during the trip to Purple Mountain, Zhao Hao seemed to sense the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, and planned to execute Consort Bai, the demonic sect's spy, ahead of time. He even instructed Zu An to personally carry out the execution. At the time, Zu An went to great lengths to save Consort Bai by replacing her with a substitute. After that, Consort Bai secretly returned to the capital, worried about her son, and subsequently lost contact.

His first thought was that Consort Bai was definitely not the type to be ungrateful or turn against him. But then he reconsidered: her son was her utmost priority, and it wouldn't be surprising for a mother to do anything for her child's future.

“Those Zhao princes actually dared to stir up trouble again. It seems I was too lenient with them before.” Zu An's expression turned cold. Back then, he had purged Bi Qi and a few princes in the capital, but mostly pacified the others. Now, it appeared this leniency had left behind trouble.

Sang Qian sent her daughter aside to eat candied hawthorns, then turned to discuss with Zu An: “If we had killed those Zhao princes back then, it would have only plunged the world into chaos prematurely, making it impossible to unite against the demons from beyond. But once the demon chaos was settled, those Zhao princes’ ambitions became active again. Especially after several years passed with no news from you, rumors spread that you had died in another world, and those ambitious individuals naturally couldn't sit still.”

Zu An said with some apology, “You must have had a difficult time these past few years, and I made you worry.”

Sang Qian smiled sweetly, “We never believed those rumors. We believed in you; no matter how great the danger, you would surely return safely.”

A warmth filled Zu An's heart as he pulled her into his embrace. At that moment, he felt the comforting warmth of home. No matter how dangerous it was outside, there were always people waiting for him here.

“By the way, why is Dan Dan on the battlefield too?” Zu An asked curiously.

“It’s all because of your wild idea to have an empress,” Sang Qian rolled her eyes. “When you were here to suppress everyone, they didn’t dare say anything, but after you left, many secretly became quite unaccepting of Linglong.”

“Linglong is indeed resourceful and capable, but she’s a woman, and that’s an inherent problem she finds hard to overcome. Our human race isn't structured like the demon race; there have been very few empresses in history. So, various factions were actually dissatisfied, and as soon as they saw an opportunity, they all rebelled.”

“Even within the court, some ministers were wavering and paid lip service while acting contrary to orders. We couldn't just stand by and watch her be bullied, so we went to help her. Because of you, she trusts us implicitly. These days, Dan Dan has been leading the guild she formed in her early years, helping transport provisions to the front lines. I stayed in the capital to help with some logistical work because I was worried about Sisi.”

Hearing her account, Zu An fell silent. He could imagine how difficult the situation Bi Linglong had faced all this time must have been. He had indeed been too irresponsible as a hands-off manager.

“What about the Empress Dowager?” Zu An then asked about the situation.

“The Empress Dowager and Linglong have been managing things, one internally and one externally. Now Linglong is personally leading the campaign, while the Empress Dowager remains in charge of the capital. If she weren't holding the fort, the capital would likely have fallen into chaos the moment Linglong left.” Sang Qian referred to her as Linglong, indicating their good relationship over the years.

Zu An nodded inwardly. After entering the capital, apart from stricter checks at the city gates, the city’s inhabitants seemed no different than before. It appeared Liu Ning was indeed skilled in governance.

“I need to go to the palace,” Zu An said gravely. Only the Empress Dowager likely had a clearer understanding of the current situation.

Sang Qian's expression saddened. They had just reunited only to part again, but she understood priorities. “Alright, I’ll wait for you to return.”

Zu An smiled faintly and took her hand. “You’re coming with me.”

Feeling the warmth in his palm and his gentle gaze, Sang Qian’s sadness instantly vanished. “Okay!”

Suddenly, she looked a little troubled. “But Sisi is here, and no one will look after her...”

Zu An went over and picked Sisi up. “She can just come to the palace with us.”

“That might be…” Sang Qian initially wanted to say it might be inappropriate, but then she thought, Sisi was his daughter, so where in the world couldn't she go? All her words then condensed into a single "Okay."

With his daughter in his right arm and Sang Qian’s hand in his left, Zu An walked all the way to the main entrance of the imperial palace. This time, he didn't bypass the guards and fly in directly; instead, he entered openly, intending for more people to see that he had returned.

Sang Qian felt a little uncomfortable holding his hand in public. Their relationship had always been kept secret, and this public display made her unaccustomed. Especially entering a place like the imperial palace, she subconsciously wanted to pull her hand away, but he held it tightly, refusing to let go. Being astute, how could she not understand that he wanted to use this method to publicly acknowledge her and their daughter? She lowered her head, bit her lip, and fought back tears. She had long resigned herself to being a secret lover her whole life, but what woman in the world wouldn’t want to appear openly with her beloved before everyone?

At that moment, a stir arose from the palace gate: “The Regent! The Regent is back!”

Zu An smiled, giving a slight nod, and quickly entered the palace. This news rapidly spread throughout the capital with astonishing speed.

Liu Ning, who was discussing state affairs with her ministers, received the news and immediately dropped everything, rushing outside to greet him. Someone nearby quietly reminded her, “Empress Dowager, this is not proper…” Normally, the Regent was still a subject, and even the Emperor should come to see the Empress Dowager, not the other way around.

Liu Ning smiled charmingly, “The Regent is no ordinary man; he is worth it.”

Those in the Imperial Study were stunned. The Empress Dowager had been full of worries lately; this was the first time she had smiled so happily, wasn’t it? Not only was she happy, but she was also exceptionally beautiful. Only then did everyone remember that the Empress Dowager didn't seem particularly old. Although called Empress Dowager, she was currently in the prime of her womanhood. Could it be that the Empress Dowager and the Regent... As soon as this thought arose, it was immediately suppressed by the ministers. Such a topic was simply too dangerous to touch. As long as the Regent didn't publicly marry the Empress Dowager, it was fine. Historically, it was common for empress dowagers to keep male consorts.

Liu Ning lifted her skirt and quickly exited the Imperial Study. At that moment, she had only one thought: to rush into his arms without hesitation. The years of separation had brought her longing to a peak, and the recent rebellions by regional princes had pushed her emotional suppression to its limit. To hell with being an Empress Dowager, and to hell with court opinions. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't want this troublesome title of Empress Dowager now...

However, when she saw Sang Qian holding Zu An's hand and the daughter in his arms, her surging impulse finally calmed down slightly. She realized this was indeed not an appropriate occasion. Yet, when she saw the delicate, doll-like little girl in Zu An's arms, another thought arose: "I want to bear a child for him too!"