Chapter 672: I Have a Friend

Little He and Little Xu, standing nearby, exchanged suspicious glances. "Is this guy bragging?" they wondered. The Grand Tutor had taught the Crown Prince extensively before, but not only did the Crown Prince never grasp it, even they, listening in, were completely bewildered.

The Crown Princess, renowned for her intelligence, had even secretly tutored the Crown Prince herself. Yet, she too failed to teach him, becoming so frustrated that she vowed never to teach him anything again.

Where did this fellow get the audacity to call it 'simple'?

Just then, Zu'an sat down opposite the Crown Prince and began explaining the rules, using the chessboard and its black and white pieces.

"Oh, so you just need to connect five pieces in a line to win? It's that simple!" the Crown Prince exclaimed, his face alight with excitement, as if he had just discovered he was a genius. "Those fellows have been so mysterious all day, making me think it was incredibly difficult!"

However, he was quickly routed by Zu'an, his face showing his embarrassment. "Alright, alright, you go tend to your own matters," he said. "Little He, Little Xu, you two play with me."

Little He and Little Xu, their eyes wide, also thought, "So Go is this simple? We just learned it by watching!" But unlike Zu'an, they dared not be merciless. They subtly let the Crown Prince win, making him beam with a smile that stretched to his ears.

While the "battle" raged outside, Zu'an seized the opportunity to go to the inner chambers to see the Crown Princess.

The Crown Princess sat before her dressing mirror, pressing the back of her hand to her cheek, as if checking how flushed her face was.

Upon seeing Zu'an enter, she quickly dropped her somewhat lovestruck demeanor, clearing her throat to regain her usual dignified and noble composure. "What is the Crown Prince up to out there?" she asked. "It sounds quite lively."

"Oh, they're playing Go," Zu'an replied, though he added silently, *'It's actually Gobang, a simplified version of Go.'*

"Go?" The Crown Princess snorted lightly, evidently recalling some unpleasant past incidents.

She didn't wish to waste her energy on the Crown Prince, so she directly asked, "What do you want?"

Zu'an replied, "I just visited the imperial prison to inquire, but learned nothing new."

He dared not tell her that Prince Qi had sent people to "rescue" those assassins. If she knew, she would seize the chance to rally the Crown Prince's faction against Prince Qi in court, and he didn't want the situation to escalate to that extent.

The Crown Princess simply hummed, evidently having held little hope for the matter to begin with.

"By the way, why did the Emperor suddenly summon you?" the Crown Princess couldn't help but ask, unable to conceive of any reason for the Emperor to call upon him.

Zu'an replied, "The Emperor heard about Prince Qi's search for me, so he summoned me to offer a few words of encouragement, urging me to serve the Crown Prince and Crown Princess with all my heart."

The Crown Princess was startled. "The Emperor truly said that?"

"How could I dare deceive you?" Zu'an countered. "In truth, even if the Emperor hadn't said so, I would still serve the Crown Prince and Crown Princess devotedly until my dying breath."

"Serve diligently until my dying breath..." The Crown Princess murmured the phrase, her eyes brightening. She hadn't expected this fellow to possess such a talent for words; she had certainly underestimated him before. Yet, she didn't take his words at face value, instead asking with a piercing gaze, "Why would you be so devoted?"

Zu'an met her gaze unflinchingly. "Of course, it's because of you, Crown Princess..."

Upon hearing this, the Crown Princess's expression instantly darkened. Before she could react, however, he continued: "Because you, Crown Princess, withstood Prince Qi's pressure to protect me. Though I haven't read many books, I understand the principle of repaying kindness. In the future, I will dedicate all my efforts to you, Crown Princess."

The Crown Princess then relaxed. "It is rare to find such loyalty," she said. "As long as you serve the Eastern Palace diligently, the Crown Prince and I will not treat you unfairly."

For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that this man's speaking style was somewhat similar to Lord Eleven's. However, the thought was banished as quickly as it arose; how could it be? The two were poles apart.

Thinking of Lord Eleven, her heart suddenly began to pound. *'Why would he say such a thing?'* she wondered.

Was he perhaps flirting with me?

But how could he dare? I am the esteemed Crown Princess, and he, an Embroidered Uniform Guard protecting the imperial family... How could he behave like that...?

Or perhaps I'm overthinking it? What if he didn't mean it that way at all?

At this thought, she quickly called out to Zu'an, "Wait a moment!"

Zu'an turned, looking at her quizzically.

The Crown Princess's delicate cheeks felt faintly warm. "I have a friend," she began, "who has been troubled by a question, but unfortunately, she has yet to find an answer. She wished to consult you, Master Zu."

Zu'an was momentarily taken aback, wondering what this woman could possibly ask him. "Crown Princess, please speak freely," he said.

He had no idea that the Crown Princess found this question too awkward to ask those close to her, fearing social embarrassment. Besides, her immediate entourage consisted of eunuchs and palace maids, and the only "normal" one was a simpleton, leaving no one she could comfortably confide in. Conversely, Zu'an was not overly familiar with her and came from common origins, so he might offer a different perspective.

The Crown Princess paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully. "My friend, she truly is my friend..." she said, looking into his eyes and emphasizing the point as if fearing he wouldn't believe her.

Zu'an suppressed a smile. "Alright, alright, I understand it's certainly not you, Crown Princess," he said.

The Crown Princess's delicate cheeks flushed crimson. Then she continued, "She knows a man, and she's always had a good impression of him. But one day, that man suddenly said some strange things to me... *cough, cough*... to my friend, and she doesn't understand what he meant."

Zu'an's heart stirred. "What strange things did that person say to you... to your friend?"

"It was... it was..." The Crown Princess hesitated, but then relayed Lord Eleven's previous words to him, adding, "My friend is of noble status, and it's simply impossible for her to be with that man. He clearly knows this, so why would he say such things? How dared he?"

Zu'an's expression grew peculiar. He hadn't expected that his words, originally intended to help Yun Jianyue out of a tight spot, would cause this woman such distress. He could only offer an explanation: "Perhaps that man is merely a philanderer, accustomed to speaking flirtatiously. He might have just said it idly, without any deeper meaning."

To his surprise, the Crown Princess immediately glared at him. "Nonsense!" she retorted. "That man is mature and steady. Do you think he's as frivolous and ill-mannered as you are?"

Zu'an was speechless. It seemed that once someone developed feelings for another, their perception was filtered; everything the other person did was interpreted favorably. He couldn't help but say, with a faint, knowing smile, "It seems the Crown Princess is quite familiar with that person."

Hearing his words, the Crown Princess's heart skipped a beat. Realizing her reaction was perhaps too telling, she quickly added, "All these details were recounted to me by my friend."

Zu'an didn't expose her. He simply said, "Perhaps that person has feelings for you... for your friend, but knows full well that your respective statuses make a relationship impossible. In his inner turmoil, he couldn't help but express his affection to you... to that friend, using such ambiguous words?"

"Ah?" The Crown Princess's red lips parted into an 'O' shape, and her heart began to pound. "Could Lord Eleven have meant that about me?"

But... but given our statuses, how could it ever be possible...?

When she had first married the Crown Prince, she initially believed he was merely a bit dull. She had tried every conceivable method to teach him and change him, only to discover he was a complete and utter fool. After countless attempts and failures, she had finally despaired.

Her marriage to the Crown Prince had been purely for family interests, and there was no affection between them. Seeing that he was beyond redemption, her heart had utterly withered.

But now, she felt that once-dead heart begin to pound. She felt more vibrant than usual, as if every moment held new anticipation.

"Could this be the power of love?" As this thought crossed her mind, her flushed face instantly blanched with alarm. She quickly suppressed the idea, then looked at Zu'an. "My friend's status is quite special," she warned. "So, please don't tell anyone about what we've just discussed. If she were to find out and blame you, you wouldn't be able to bear the consequences."

Zu'an suppressed a laugh. "I am certainly not one to spread rumors," he assured her.

He mused, *'If you ever learn my true identity, I wonder if you'll be so embarrassed you'll try to dig a three-bedroom apartment with your toes.'*

The thought of that scenario filled him with considerable anticipation.