Chapter 663: Grandmaster Should Not Be Underestimated

Zuan replied, "As the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, it is indeed appropriate for the Crown Prince and Prince Consort to respectfully offer you tea and salute during your lectures."

The portly Crown Prince next to him nodded and chuckled in agreement, "Yes, yes."

The Prince Consort's brows knitted. She had just started to feel a bit of goodwill towards this fellow, and then he pulled this stunt? And the Crown Prince's idiotic demeanor was truly exhausting.

Only King Qi remained expressionless. Given his current standing, he naturally knew the other party would have more to say.

Sure enough, Zuan continued, "However, before or after each day's lecture, King Qi is no longer in the role of a teacher. As the saying goes, there is a distinction between ruler and subject. At that time, should you not also salute the Crown Prince upon seeing him?"

King Qi raised an eyebrow. This fellow was certainly sharp-tongued, and he had indeed posed a dilemma.

Zuan immediately looked at the Crown Prince, "Your Royal Highness, has King Qi finished today's lesson for you?"

The Crown Prince scratched his head and foolishly said, "I think so. Are you going to come catch frogs with me?"

Seeing the Prince Consort's face turn ashen, Zuan thought, "Catch frogs, my ass! You almost ruined the momentum I'd painstakingly built." He cleared his throat, composed himself, and continued, "Since today's lecture is concluded, shouldn't it be King Qi's turn to perform the subject's bow to the Crown Prince?"

Seeing King Qi remain expressionless, he added fuel to the fire: "If King Qi is unwilling to bow to the Crown Prince, does that mean he harbors ambitions of replacing him?"

King Qi's expression finally changed. Although his struggle with the Crown Prince for the heir apparent position was intense, outwardly, everyone maintained an amicable facade. How could such a thing be openly discussed?

King Qi's anger surged. He was finally enraged. He cast a fleeting glance at Zuan, and in that instant, Zuan felt as if he had plunged into an ice cellar, as if death were imminent.

"Is this the pressure of a Grand Master...?" Zuan thought with a bitter smile. What bad karma had he accumulated? He was already like a cheat code among his peers, yet he kept provoking the most powerful figures in the land. Not long ago, he had been intimidated by the Emperor's aura, and now he was subjected to King Qi's oppressive presence.

Seeing Zuan stand firm as a mountain with a calm expression, a hint of surprise appeared in King Qi's eyes. At such close range, ordinary cultivators would typically struggle to stand under his aura and would likely be unable to resist falling to their knees. He had intended to use this to teach the sharp-tongued fellow a lesson and simultaneously dispel the momentum he had built with his words. How could it be ineffective? Normally, with the pride of a Grand Master, having one's attack withstood by a junior would make it difficult to strike a second time without losing face. However, King Qi was also a politician, prioritizing practical results. Thus, he decided to exert his pressure again, this time holding nothing back, determined to give the fellow a severe lesson.

Just then, the Prince Consort stepped forward, blocking Zuan. Though her face was somewhat pale, she still looked up and said, "He has only been in the Eastern Palace for a few days and doesn't understand many of the rules yet. If he has offended King Qi in any way, please be lenient."

Looking at the slender figure before him, Zuan was quite surprised. The Prince Consort had always disliked him, yet she was now shielding him.

King Qi glanced at her and smiled, "Prince Consort, you exaggerate. How could I stoop to his level?" He then turned to the portly man beside him, "Crown Prince, do you also wish for me to bow to you?"

The Crown Prince hastily waved his chubby hands, "No, no!" He had always been somewhat afraid of this teacher and elder; how could he dare to let him bow to him?

The Prince Consort glared at him, annoyed by his spinelessness. However, she also understood that King Qi's status was extraordinary, and pushing him too far would be unwise.

After such an incident, King Qi found it rather uninteresting to stay. For someone of his standing, personally bickering with Zuan would be beneath him. He soon found an excuse to bid farewell to the Crown Prince and Prince Consort. The Prince Consort was eager for this 'god of plague' to leave quickly, so she naturally offered no retention.

As King Qi left, he paused beside Zuan and said faintly, "Master Zuan, you are very good."

"Thank you for the compliment, King Qi," Zuan replied with impeccable respect, leaving no room for the other party to find fault and target him.

King Qi's breath hitched. "Was I complimenting you?" He snorted and swept his sleeves, departing directly.

As soon as he left, sighs of relief rippled through the Eastern Palace, clearly indicating how stifling the atmosphere had been. Although King Qi was the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, he only visited occasionally. The Crown Prince's primary instructors were the Junior Tutors. Thus, most of the Eastern Palace staff were directly loyal to the Crown Prince and Prince Consort.

Amidst the admiring gazes of the crowd, Zuan bowed before the Prince Consort. "Greetings, Prince Consort." As for the Crown Prince, he was already cheerfully playing games with an eunuch, completely disregarding Zuan.

The Prince Consort looked at her foolish husband, then at the man before her. She sighed inwardly. *The Crown Prince, let alone being inferior to Master Eleven, can't even compare to this fellow right here.*

She quickly composed herself and offered Zuan a faint, ingratiating smile. "Many thanks to Master Zuan for today."

"As a subordinate of the Eastern Palace, it is only natural to share the Prince Consort's burdens," Zuan replied, directly omitting the Crown Prince. Everyone present knew that the Prince Consort was effectively in charge of the Eastern Palace, and no one found anything amiss with his statement.

The Prince Consort's expression softened further, clearly pleased by his declaration of loyalty. "You should also be careful when you go out from now on." She was warning him to be wary of King Qi's retaliation.

Zuan smiled slightly. "With the fortune of the Crown Prince and Prince Consort protecting me, I am sure I will eventually overcome any dangers."

The Prince Consort scoffed lightly, "You only know how to say pleasant things. What fortune could I possibly have?"

Zuan stated earnestly, "The Prince Consort is destined to be the future mother of the nation. How could you not possess great fortune?"

Seeing the Prince Consort giggle, her personal maid, Rong Mo, behind her was startled. It seemed that fellow's words were constantly teasing the Prince Consort. But what surprised her even more was that the Prince Consort didn't seem annoyed at all. *I've only been away from the Eastern Palace for a few days; has something happened that I don't know about?*

Zuan seized the opportunity to say, "Prince Consort, I'd like to request leave to visit the Heavenly Prison."

"The Heavenly Prison?" The Prince Consort's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "What do you want to do there?" Cheng Xiong's case had concluded, and for her, the prisoners there were no longer relevant.

Zuan replied, "I want to question those assassins again, to see if I can dig up any more information about 'that person'."

The Prince Consort naturally understood he was referring to King Qi and readily agreed. "Alright, but even if you find something, do not act rashly. Come back and discuss it with me."

After Zuan left the Eastern Palace, the maid Rong Mo couldn't help but quietly ask her mistress, "Your Highness, why do you value this young man so much? Weren't you quite annoyed by him before?"

The Prince Consort leisurely sat down, took the clear tea offered by Rong Mo, and took a sip before slowly saying, "It's not terrible for someone to be annoying; what's truly terrible is for them to be useless. Although Zuan is somewhat annoying, he is indeed a talent, and I am in dire need of such people under my command." In the ongoing struggle with King Qi, the main forces had always been the Emperor's trusted ministers, the Liu family behind the Empress, and her own father. However, she herself had too few direct subordinates. In her view, King Qi was not the only enemy. After taking down King Qi, there was still the Empress's family. Although she had initial unpleasantness with Zuan, he had proven himself resourceful in several subsequent matters. Bringing him into her fold would certainly be of great help in the future. *Sigh, since the Crown Prince doesn't handle affairs, I can only worry about them myself.*

Meanwhile, King Qi was slowly sipping tea in a pavilion within the palace. A team of gold-armored guards swiftly approached and saluted, "Greetings, King Qi. We await your instructions." It was well known that even the General of the Left Imperial Guard had previously been one of King Qi's faction. Placing some guards in the palace was thus incredibly simple for him.

King Qi gazed at the goldfish swimming in the lake, a hint of playful mockery in his eyes. "Go and invite Zuan here." How many years had it been since anyone dared to offend him like this? The last time, it seemed, was several years ago when a few presumptuous guards, relying on their status as the Crown Prince's personal guards, acted arrogantly. They soon ended up as heads in wooden boxes. Whether as King Qi or a Grand Master, how could he be easily insulted by a mere nobody? Moreover, many of his subordinates had been seething with anger over the Cheng Xiong case, and they needed something to appease them. And who was to blame but that fellow himself for being so ignorant?