Her face flushed the moment she finished speaking, as his imposing physical reaction had already given her the answer.
Consort Bai felt a little dizzy. She had expected him to be immediately deferential after her words. After all, the Emperor was the most powerful person in the world; who dared offend him? Even Prince Qi, who had opposed him for years, would never dare lay a hand on his women. Yet, this man not only wasn't afraid but seemed even more excited because of it?
Is something wrong with my understanding, or is something wrong with him?
"You're the Emperor's woman?" Zu An was startled at first, but he quickly recovered, realizing this was only natural. There had been many rumors about Consort Bai and the Emperor before.
"Since you know, release me!" Consort Bai tried hard to appear angry and dignified. Unfortunately, her delicate and gentle appearance not only failed to intimidate him but instead encouraged more unusual thoughts in men.
"Why should I release you?" Zu An chuckled playfully. "Anyway, if I touch the Emperor's woman, I'll die whether I let go or not. So I might as well embrace you more before I die; at least I can be a romantic ghost."
Consort Bai was speechless.
He wasn't playing by the rules, leaving her at a loss for how to respond.
She took a deep breath and said, "Alright, I promise not to tell the Emperor about today. Now you can let go with peace of mind, right?"
Zu An laughed, "If you're not going to tell the Emperor, why shouldn't I take this chance to embrace you more?"
Consort Bai was dumbfounded. How could this man be so shameless?
Just then, the baby in her arms seemed to sense its mother's predicament and began crying loudly.
Consort Bai immediately grew anxious, racking her brain for a way to escape, when to her surprise, Zu An simply let go.
She paused, surprised, then quickly stood up from his embrace and eyed him with suspicion.
Zu An smiled; he had only been teasing her. Seeing that he had obtained the information he wanted, he naturally stopped pressing her. "I was just a little carried away just now. I hope Your Highness won't mind if I offended you. Please, comfort your child first."
Consort Bai snorted, "You're not a good person."
Despite saying that, a hint of goodwill involuntarily arose in her heart.
Although he had been a bit rough, he hadn't actually done anything to her in the end.
This meant that when an initial impression was at rock bottom, subsequent actions could easily earn positive points.
Zu An didn't argue. "The feeling's mutual. Your Highness really tricked me."
Consort Bai gently patted the swaddled baby's body, softly humming a lullaby. Her melodious voice quickly calmed the baby, stopping its crying and making it gurgle with laughter.
Zu An watched her profile from the side. At that moment, she was radiant with maternal glow, her entire being exceptionally gentle, enough to calm any restless heart.
After comforting the baby, Consort Bai placed it in a nearby cradle and gently rocked it. Only then did she reply, "What do you mean, 'tricked'? You never asked me about any of this."
Zu An: "..."
He didn't want to play word games with her. He pressed on, "Does the Emperor know about your relationship with Yun Jianyue?"
"The Emperor is more formidable than you imagine," Consort Bai said meaningfully. "He knows everything; he just might not tell you."
Zu An sneered inwardly. There was no need to overly mythologize the Emperor; at least he didn't know about Zu An and the Empress.
Perhaps he could remain outwardly composed, but he couldn't hide it from his own Rage points system.
"If he knows your identity, why does he let you be, and even allow you to live so comfortably?" Zu An asked curiously.
Consort Bai's gaze fell upon the baby in the cradle, who was biting its toes. "What do you think?" she replied.
Zu An's heart stirred. "He's indeed not the Imperial Grandson, but an Imperial Prince!"
Consort Bai smiled without saying anything more. She simply crouched by the cradle, gently stroking the baby inside. "I just want him to grow up safely," she murmured. "Whether it's the Emperor or the Holy Sect, it has nothing to do with me."
Zu An frowned. Surrounded by various factions, how could she possibly remain detached?
"Why did the Emperor make you the Crown Prince's concubine, turning a perfectly good son into a grandson?" Zu An asked.
At this moment, he finally understood why Bi Linglong was so hostile towards her. Having lived with the Crown Prince for so long, she naturally knew that the idiotic man couldn't possibly father a child. Thus, the truth about this woman and the child became obvious.
Bi Linglong worried that this child might one day jeopardize the Crown Prince's position, yet she also needed the child's status as Imperial Grandson. After much thought, she must have concluded that eliminating Consort Bai would achieve both goals.
As for Consort Bai, she likely had similar thoughts, which explained why she had previously set a trap that nearly killed the Crown Princess.
Consort Bai shook her head. "I don't know either, but I suppose the Emperor has his reasons. I wouldn't dare question his decisions."
Zu An fell into contemplation, various possibilities surfacing in his mind, but he still couldn't figure it out.
At that moment, Consort Bai took a sachet from her waist. "This should be what you need," she said. "Wearing it can conceal your aura, keeping your vital energy fluctuations below the sixth rank."
Zu An took it. It was a rather exquisite sachet, its material feeling like neither silk nor fine cloth. Its outer surface was embroidered with delicate small flowers, and subtly, the character "Bai" (白) was also woven in.
"This belongs to you?" Zu An was surprised.
"The Emperor gave it to me originally to conceal my cultivation," Consort Bai replied. "Now that you have it, I need to feed the baby. Surely, Sir Zu won't stay and watch?"
Zu An instinctively glanced at her full bosom, his old face reddening. He quickly averted his gaze. "Aren't there wet nurses in the palace? Why does Your Highness need to feed the baby yourself?"
"Because it's uncomfortable when my breasts are engorged," Consort Bai said, her pretty face slightly flushed, looking at him with a half-smile. "Are you sure, Sir Zu, you want to discuss such private matters of a woman?"
Zu An's face burned nonetheless, and he quickly took the sachet and excused himself.
Consort Bai picked up the child. Seeing his discomfited figure disappear into the distance, she couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. Then she whispered, "Baby, when you grow up, you must be careful of women. The prettier they are, the more deceitful they can be."
Time quickly passed. The day before the Grand Examination, Bi Linglong summoned Zu An to the Eastern Palace and quietly watched him without speaking.
Although staring at such a beautiful young woman was enjoyable, he couldn't help but feel curious. "Why are you looking at me like that, Crown Princess?"
Bi Linglong pursed her lips, then finally said faintly, "Can I trust you?"
Zu An paused. "Why do you ask?"
Bi Linglong explained, "This time, I could only secure one spot for someone whose cultivation slightly exceeds the limit to enter the secret realm. Actually, there were other candidates in the family, but I went against everyone's objections and chose you. Still, I'm very anxious; I don't know whether I should trust you."
First, she was unsure if his strength was sufficient to dominate the entire secret realm. Second, she was unsure if he would wholeheartedly help her.
Normally, she spoke with a hint of authority, but now she was uncharacteristically vulnerable. Zu An knew that this Grand Examination for the Crown Prince not only concerned her own fate but also the honor of her family, which was why she was so anxious.
So he set aside his usual flippancy and said solemnly, "Of course you can!"
Hearing his answer, Bi Linglong's previously furrowed brows instantly relaxed, and a blooming smile appeared on her face. "Good!"
Zu An asked, "Have the participants for tomorrow's entry into the secret realm been decided?"
Bi Linglong nodded. "Tomorrow, from the Eastern Palace, it'll be you, me, Guard Pu, Guard Jiao, and others. Additionally, Prince Liang's Manor, the Bi family, the Liu family, the Meng family, and the Pei family will each send their disciples, with each family limited to ten people of the sixth rank and below."
Zu An couldn't help but laugh. "That's nearly a hundred people in total. That should be enough to flatten any flood dragon."
A hint of a smile also appeared on Bi Linglong's face. "The Crown Prince, after all, is wise. It's not excessive to have so many guards. Prince Qi also won't have much to say."
Zu An couldn't help but ask, "This time, the young elites from all major families are participating. If they suffer losses in the secret realm, or if Prince Qi is favored by the secret realm, wouldn't the younger generation of the Crown Prince's faction be wiped out?"
Bi Linglong shook her head. "The individuals sent by each family this time are naturally not their respective heirs; this is precisely a precaution against such a scenario. But you don't need to worry. Although those sent are not the strongest heirs, each one has been carefully selected and represents the most outstanding young talents from their respective households."
Zu An, however, was unimpressed. No matter how outstanding they were, how could they compare to him? "By the way, who will the Pei family you mentioned be sending?"
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