Chapter 577: Meeting the Emperor

Zuan looked first at Bi Linglong, then at Concubine Bai, whom Bi Linglong had just mentioned. Both women possessed distinct charms, akin to plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, each excelling in its own right.

However, while the Crown Princess was beautiful, she was a bit too fierce. The Concubine Bai next to her, on the other hand, was gentle and dignified, immediately making a more favorable impression.

It seemed there was some rivalry between the two, with sparks subtly flying in the air.

The Crown Prince, standing nearby, grinned foolishly. "Sister Bai, you're here too!"

The young noblewoman bowed gracefully, her movements gentle as water even in a formal greeting. "Your Highness, please don't call me that. Just call me Rou Xue."

So her name was Bai Rou Xue.

Wait, "Your concubine"?

Zuan suddenly realized. This young noblewoman must be the very concubine Chu Chuyan had mentioned—the one the Emperor had bestowed upon the Crown Prince, who then bore him a son.

No wonder she had called the Crown Princess "sister," and the Crown Princess, despite her obvious displeasure at hearing her voice, had to suppress her temper and feign cordiality.

Bai Rou Xue appeared a few years older than Bi Linglong. While the Crown Princess sometimes resembled a young girl, this woman was clearly a mature young married woman, a fully ripened one.

His gaze involuntarily fell upon her ample bosom. Recalling Chu Chuyan's mention of her having a son, he wondered if she was still nursing.

Seemingly noticing his gaze, Bai Rou Xue's face flushed slightly. She said nothing, however, but looked instead at the Crown Princess. "I heard Sister Linglong's voice from afar just now, so I came over to see who had upset her."

Bi Linglong fumed inwardly. *Is she implying I'm loud?*

She said coolly, "I was merely chastising an unperceptive fellow. I didn't expect to disturb Concubine Bai."

The other woman kept calling her "sister" because she was a few years older and held a special status, so there was nothing particularly wrong with such an address.

However, Bi Linglong absolutely refused to call the other woman "sister." After all, she was the legitimate Crown Princess; how could she address a mere secondary consort as "sister"?

"Oh? Is this the unperceptive fellow?" Bai Rou Xue asked, looking curiously at Zuan.

Zuan's expression was odd. *What in the world is going on?* He felt as if he had been drawn into the vortex of these two women's palace intrigues.

He glanced at Zhao Ruizhi, who stood nearby. The chubby Crown Prince certainly had a blessed romantic life; both women were exceptionally beautiful, each with a distinctly different aura.

At that moment, however, Zhao Ruizhi was merely standing there, displaying the simple-minded smile characteristic of someone with an intellectual disability, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.

Bai Rou Xue scrutinized him. "From your attire, it seems you're not from the palace. How did you get in?"

Bi Linglong was startled. This was indeed a crucial point; she had completely forgotten this vital question just now. It was all because this audacious fellow had infuriated her so much that she had lost some of her usual composure.

Zuan replied, "Zhu Xie Chixin brought me into the palace. Later, Eunuch Li led me to this area."

Bi Linglong's beautiful face subtly changed. She finally remembered where she had heard that name: he was the infamous individual rumored to possess the art of immortality, whose name had been causing a stir recently.

Bi Linglong, standing nearby, also looked him over with surprise, clearly having realized Zuan's identity.

Bi Linglong snorted and spoke directly to Zhao Ruizhi. "Your Highness, let's go back. Today's morning lessons aren't finished yet."

Zhao Ruizhi grew anxious. "I still want to play with Zuan! He knows so many fun thin—"

At that moment, Bi Linglong shot him a glare, which made him gulp back the rest of his words in fear.

Bai Rou Xue, standing nearby, smiled faintly. "Sister Linglong is in such a hurry to leave."

Bi Linglong replied indifferently, "I still need to oversee the Crown Prince's studies. I dare not be negligent."

*Hmph*, Zuan was someone the Emperor had specifically requested to see. She had just threatened to beat him to death; if word of that reached the Emperor, who knew what he might think of her, or even her family.

She understood she could no longer punish Zuan. Why stay here and make a spectacle of herself?

She gave her maid, Rong Mo, a look. The maid immediately signaled the eunuchs nearby to help the Crown Prince leave. The group departed in a hurry, with only Zhao Ruizhi reluctantly looking back repeatedly, unsure whether he was sad to leave his gentle Sister Bai or Zuan.

After seeing them leave, Zuan cupped his hands to the noblewoman and thanked her. "Thank you, Concubine Bai, for speaking up for me just now. You saved me a great deal of trouble."

Bai Rou Xue nodded slightly, offered a faint smile, but gave no reply, then turned and floated gracefully away.

Zuan looked dejected. *Are all the women in the palace so aloof?*

Even that beautiful Crown Princess had initially disdained speaking to him, letting her maids do the talking. Only when she couldn't help it did she say a few words to him.

And now, this seemingly gentle Concubine Bai was acting just like the arrogant Crown Princess, not speaking a single word to him.

*It's as if I'm some kind of pervert. Who are they guarding against?*

Of course, he knew that it wasn't just palace consorts; even the inner members of ordinary families wouldn't casually converse with outside men. In their eyes, men outside the family were "outsiders," and even a slight misstep leading to rumors of a secret meeting with an outside man could be devastating to a woman's reputation.

Previously, Brightmoon City's atmosphere was more open due to its commercial activities, but other cities were very strict in this regard.

Logically, a large place like the capital shouldn't be so conservative.

He suddenly understood. Given the Crown Prince's simple-mindedness, it was only natural for his consorts to be extra cautious and avoid any compromising situations.

Thinking this, he couldn't help but sigh. Although the Crown Prince was a bit dim-witted, he was truly blessed.

Just then, a young eunuch rushed over. "Oh my, how did you get here? We've been looking everywhere for you! Hurry and come with me, His Majesty has finished court and wants to see you."

Zuan frowned, a little wary. "Where's Eunuch Li?"

The young eunuch instinctively replied, "Eunuch Li seems to have made a mistake and was by His Majesty—"

He abruptly stopped midsentence. "Why so many questions? Just come quickly!"

Zuan mused, then followed the young eunuch to a quiet, elegant room. Seeing the words "Imperial Study" on the plaque above the door, he finally relaxed. Although he had some suspicions, he had been worried the young eunuch might lead him into a trap. Now it seemed his concerns were unwarranted.

After all, this was the inner palace of the imperial city, the Emperor's private domain. If things kept going wrong for him there, the Emperor would be a complete failure.

The young eunuch respectfully bowed at the door. "Your Majesty, the person has been brought."

A majestic voice then came from within the room. "Let him enter."

The young eunuch pushed the door open and gestured for Zuan to enter.

Despite having made detailed plans beforehand, Zuan found himself feeling nervous as the moment arrived. His heart pounded, and his body trembled slightly, beyond his control.

This wasn't cowardice, but an instinctive awareness of danger. After all, the person inside was the strongest in the world, and if his plan truly failed, he would likely face certain death.

Nevertheless, he had been an emperor in the Yin Ruins secret realm for decades. Taking a deep breath, he quickly calmed himself and walked straight in.

Once he was inside, the young eunuch casually closed the door behind him.

The creaking sound of the closing door intensified the heavy atmosphere.

Upon entering the room, he felt a sense of oppression, as if breathing was far more difficult than usual.

His expression subtly changed. He naturally understood this was the formidable pressure exerted by a powerful individual. Yet, despite his cultivation having advanced by leaps and bounds after absorbing Mosquito Daoist's power, he still felt such discomfort.

He had never encountered such oppressive pressure before. Neither Old Man Mi, Eunuch Wei, nor the giant dragons and Mosquito Daoist he encountered on his journey to the capital, could compare to the overwhelming presence of the person before him. The closest he had felt was when he first met Mi Li in the secret realm, but even then, the confidence granted by the "Rich Woman's Joy Ball" had lessened the shock.

Against those others, he still had the courage to draw his sword and retaliate. But now, he felt a tremor deep in his soul, as if every cell in his body was telling him it was useless, to stop struggling, and to quickly kneel and beg for mercy.

However, he then thought of the First Emperor's remnant soul and King Wu Geng of Shang in the secret realm. He had endured facing them; how could he give up so easily now?

Besides, as a transmigrator, he had seen all sorts of scenarios online in his previous life. He couldn't disgrace his fellow transmigrator predecessors.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, he suddenly felt clear-headed, and the pressure around him instantly lightened.

Just then, a soft exclamation came from nearby: "Oh, you're quite interesting."