Chapter 898: Wangfu Secrets

Seeing her usual imperial dignity replaced by a seductive charm in her eyes, Zu An felt a surge of heat. His voice was a little hoarse as he said, "Woman, you're playing with fire!"

"What if I am playing with fire? You're so weak now, can you even chastise me?" the Empress said with a playful giggle.

Eunuch Lu, guarding the door, was momentarily lost in thought. How many years had it been since he had seen the Empress so happy? In his youth, she had also teased him with a face blooming with smiles, but alas, the tenderness that was once his now belonged to another man. Oh, what was the use of thinking such thoughts? As long as the Empress was happy, he was happy too. Yet, why did it feel so heartbreaking to think this way? In the end, it was all nonsense.

Just then, a soft gasp came from inside the room. He turned abruptly and saw Zu An pulling the Empress into his arms, her elaborate phoenix robe now quite wrinkled.

"This brat really has some nerve!" Eunuch Lu's eyelids twitched. He wished... he wished he was the man holding the Empress inside. But alas, he could only dream, and he had to stand guard outside to prevent anyone from seeing what they shouldn't.

"I'm easily provoked. Since you have such a request, I'll satisfy you." Zu An fiercely grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. A mature woman's waist was soft and full without an ounce of excess, a completely different experience from a young girl's youthful vigor.

The Empress felt something unusual in her body. She couldn't help but look down and immediately spat, "How dare you offend me!" This fellow was so heavily injured, yet he still...

Zu An smiled. "Should I report it to the Emperor?"

The Empress's gaze swept over him. "There's no need to trouble the Emperor with such matters. If I simply give the word, two eunuchs can drag you out and have you beaten to death."

"Perhaps Her Majesty would be reluctant," Zu An said, beginning to examine her phoenix robe. Although they were already very familiar with each other, this was the first time he had seen her in such a grand ceremonial gown up close. He had to admit, the fabric was excellent, and the phoenix embroidered with gold and jade threads was exceptionally beautiful.

The Empress's heart pounded. How could she have expected him to be so bold? She had intended to control the pace and keep him in line, but now, he had her so completely subdued that her whole body felt weak.

"There are other guards outside," the Empress said. She had wanted to sound angry, but her voice held no trace of anger; instead, it was so alluringly soft that it startled even herself.

Eunuch Lu's heart grew even more bitter, yet also strangely excited.

"I know," Zu An said indifferently. At this moment, he certainly wasn't clouded by beauty. Their relationship was, in fact, very strange. They had shared intimate physical contact, but both were well aware that there was no love or tenderness between them, only raw calculation. Their interactions were a battle; whoever lost the first round would find themselves on the back foot, conceding ground repeatedly. So both used all their abilities, seeking to seize the initiative in their relationship.

The Empress was speechless. "What do you mean, 'you know'? So what then?" She felt herself falling into his rhythm. Her reason told her to break free, but the unprecedented feeling made her somewhat reluctant.

Just then, Eunuch Lu's cough came from the doorway. The Empress immediately pushed Zu An away, stood up from his embrace, and quickly straightened her somewhat disheveled phoenix robe. Eunuch Lu wouldn't make noise without reason; he was clearly giving a warning.

Sure enough, Zhuxie Chixin's voice soon followed. "Oh, Eunuch Lu, what are you doing here?"

Eunuch Lu smiled and replied, "This old servant was accompanying Her Majesty to visit the brave warrior who rendered great service this time. And Grand Commander, you seem to be everywhere."

"I just came from the Imperial Study and returned here to stroll around," he said, walking towards the door. He saw the Empress inside and immediately bowed. "Greetings to Your Majesty." He was a little surprised; the Empress looked exceedingly captivating today. The Empress was indeed a great beauty, but in previous years, her gloomy mood had made her aura somewhat unapproachable. Recently, she seemed much happier. It appeared that now that the Crown Prince's position was secure, she had completely relaxed.

The Empress smiled and said, "The Grand Commander is too polite. Since the Grand Commander has returned, I'll leave this place to you."

Zu An, standing nearby, secretly sighed. The women in the palace were truly all formidable. Bi Linglong was like that, and so was the Empress. It was a pity they didn't go to the Oscars to compete for Best Actress.

"Your subject will see Your Majesty out," Zhuxie Chixin said, following her outside.

The Empress raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

The group walked out of the courtyard. The Empress stopped. "Speak. What do you want to say, coming out with me?"

Zhuxie Chixin smiled. "Your Majesty's insight is truly remarkable..."

The Empress cut him off directly. "Spit it out." He was the Emperor's loyal dog, and she found him irritating to look at, especially after being interrupted just now. Naturally, she wouldn't give him a kind look.

Zhuxie Chixin was momentarily choked, but as she was the Empress, he couldn't act out. He simply said, "I must trouble Your Majesty not to reveal some details of what happened in the secret realm outside. His Majesty has not yet decided how to handle this matter, and everything still needs to be kept confidential."

The Empress was startled at first, then immediately realized. He most likely thought she had gone to see Zu An to gather information from the secret realm and then relay it to the Liu family outside. "Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?" Seeing his misunderstanding, she was too lazy to explain; this misunderstanding was actually for the best.

Zhuxie Chixin hurriedly bowed and apologized. "This subject would not dare, but His Majesty has been quite troubled by this matter recently..."

"You don't need to use the Emperor to pressure me; I know what I'm doing." She left this faint remark and swept her sleeves, departing.

Watching her leave, Zhuxie Chixin gave a wry smile. The Empress's temper had become increasingly strange over the years, and it was all because of the Emperor.

He returned and exchanged a few pleasantries with Zu An before leaving. Until the Emperor made a decision, he still had to maintain his distance from these people.

Afterward, some guards came to congratulate Zu An. Clearly, the Crown Princess's and Empress's rewards made everyone understand that he was definitely going to be an influential figure in the future.

After Zu An had dealt with them, he lay on the bed, pondering the various things to come, and then fell into a deep sleep without realizing it. During his time in the secret realm, he had been constantly on edge, with hardly any chance to close his eyes.

He didn't know how long he had slept, but suddenly, a sudden alarm surged in Zu An's heart. He shot up from the bed and clamped a hand around the neck of a figure in black next to him, pinning them down.

"What's wrong?" A familiar voice came from outside—it was Eunuch Lu.

Zu An's heart skipped a beat. He looked at the noble yet alluring eyes of the person he had subdued. Who else could it be but the Empress?

"Nothing. Go guard outside," the Empress said as Zu An released his grip.

"Hmm," Eunuch Lu mumbled a vague reply, clearly displeased.

Zu An pulled off the black-clad figure's mask, revealing a beautiful, mature face. He couldn't help but be surprised. "Why are you dressed like this?"

"Someone kept saying he would come to Kunning Palace to find me, but never did, so I had to come and see for myself," the Empress said, lying on the bed, her hands naturally raised and placed behind her head, further accentuating her proud figure.

Zu An noticed her stealthy attire and then looked out the window. He hadn't realized he had slept until deep into the night. He paused for a moment, then reacted. "Your Majesty, running around in the middle of the night like this, aren't you worried about ending up in the wrong bed?"

Her eyes, like silken threads, held a seductive glint. "With you in the bed, it won't be wrong."

Zu An secretly thought, "Impressive." If Mi Li hadn't warned him earlier that she wanted to absorb his vital energy to restore her cultivation, he might have truly been fooled into thinking she was deeply in love with him.

"Then I truly thank Your Majesty for your kindness," Zu An said, releasing her and getting out of bed to pour himself a cup of tea.

Seeing that he didn't eagerly pounce on her, a hint of surprise flashed in the Empress's eyes. She casually lay on her side, propping her head up, watching his retreating figure. "Everyone in the palace says you're heavily injured and on the verge of death, but you don't look injured at all. Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the Emperor?"

Zu An drank the cold tea in one gulp. "If you report me, I'll tell him, 'Your wife is amazing.'"

The Empress was speechless. Even she, who prided herself on her strong psyche, was almost thrown off guard by his words. Zu An thought to himself, *Oh, you little thing, if you knew I actually said that to the Emperor's face not long ago, you'd probably just faint from shock.*

"Your Majesty, what has been happening in the capital during my absence?" Zu An asked. As soon as he left the secret realm, Zhuxie Chixin brought him to the palace and put him under house arrest, so he had no access to news from outside. If he lacked sufficient intelligence, it would be easy to make misjudgments. For now, who better than the Empress to understand what was happening inside and outside the palace?

"Am I not beautiful enough that you're still concerned about these matters?" the Empress snorted, but still replied, "After you entered the secret realm, the hearts of all factions were stirred. Prince Qi's Manor seemed confident and well-prepared, and the Emperor also appeared calm and composed, confident of success. Although I don't know their respective trump cards, I'm more willing to trust the Emperor; Zhao Jing can't outmaneuver him."

Zu An nodded in agreement. Zhao Hao was indeed an old fox, treating everyone like fools from beginning to end. If it weren't for the fortuitous encounter with the Xiquanqu Secret Realm, his bones would have been cold for who knows how long.

The Empress continued with a cold snort, "Later, something went wrong with the secret realm. The Imperial Academy Dean personally declared that the elemental balance inside had collapsed. Those from Prince Qi's Manor feigned overwhelming grief, but in reality, they almost burst out laughing." Clearly, as the Crown Prince's maternal family, they had no good feelings toward Prince Qi's faction.

"During that period, the Emperor behaved very strangely. I've never seen him so panic-stricken. Although he tried his best to hide it, he might fool others, but how could he fool me?" the Empress stated with certainty. After all, they had been husband and wife for so many years; they knew each other too well. "The Emperor has been in a very bad mood lately. Many of the eunuchs serving him mysteriously disappeared. I heard they were executed for minor mistakes," the Empress said, frowning. "It wasn't until you all returned safely from the secret realm that his mood improved slightly, but only slightly. I can still feel his suppressed rage."

Zu An thought, *How could he not be angry? His soul clone was inexplicably destroyed in the secret realm, and his lifelong plan for immortality had fallen through.*

"Besides that? Did anything else major happen in the capital?" Zu An asked further.

"Your matter was the biggest thing!" The Empress was somewhat confused as to why he insisted on this question, but she still thought for a moment and replied, "Aside from that, our people clashed with Prince Qi's Manor's people several times in the academy's back mountain. Zhuxie Chixin wasn't there, so many were injured or killed. That young master of the Chu family was constantly there asking for his brother-in-law, acting effeminate. No wonder the Chu family has declined; their feminine influence overshadows masculine strength. Former Grand Minister of Agriculture Sang Hong's family has returned to the capital. The Emperor trusted him greatly in the past and has recently been seeking him out for discussions..." She rattled off several events that had occurred in the capital during this time. Each event was indeed insignificant compared to what happened in the secret realm.

Zu An's heart stirred. "Sang Hong is back." A bright, pretty face suddenly appeared in his mind. *Doesn't that mean Zheng Dan is also back in the capital?*

"I almost forgot you two had a history," the Empress chuckled. "Sang Hong did a lot of dirty work for the Emperor in his earlier years. It must be retribution; his family line has ended. But perhaps this isn't a bad thing. Previously, when he was an isolated official, everyone wanted to get rid of him quickly. Now, with no heirs, he's less of a threat. Plus, he has a daughter as beautiful as a flower and a stunningly beautiful widowed daughter-in-law, so many people have designs on them."

"Sang Hong was, after all, a confidant of the Emperor. He seems to be on the verge of a comeback recently. Do those people really dare to mess with him?" Zu An asked, somewhat puzzled.

The Empress explained, "Families like the Sang family, who come from humble origins, inherently lack the deep foundations of other great clans. Last time, when they botched the task in Bright Moon City, the Sang family suffered a devastating blow. And for some unknown reason, the warriors the Sang family had harbored for years seemed to vanish overnight. Without these forces, how could the scions of those aristocratic families in the capital fear the Sang family?"

"Many in the capital now believe that Sang Hong has tacitly approved, eager for his daughter to marry into a prominent aristocratic family, thus restoring the Sang family's former glory."

"Unfortunately, those aristocratic families aren't stupid. Sang Hong's daughter's family background is too humble, and the Sang family made too many enemies in the past. No one is thinking of marrying Miss Sang as their main wife; they merely covet her beauty. At most, she'd be a concubine, and even that would be good. The main reason many are so interested is that they're thinking of a 'buy one, get one free' deal, as the Sang family's widowed daughter-in-law is an absolute beauty."

Zu An snorted coldly. "You don't need to say these things to deliberately test me. Back then, the Sang family and I were fellow prisoners traveling to the capital together. We developed some camaraderie on the way, so naturally, I'll help if I can."

"Hmph, I suppose you're also planning to take advantage of them both," the Empress sneered. Men were never good, after all.

"You're thinking too much. How could the Sang family let those petty people succeed? A true gentleman like me would never have such thoughts," Zu An said, his face stern.

"You, a true gentleman?" The Empress had a strange expression, feeling a strong urge to scoff at him.

"Cough, cough," Zu An said, feeling a little guilty and quickly changing the subject. "Did anything else happen?"

The Empress slowly began, "Yes, something strange happened at Prince Qi's Manor..."

Zu An waited for a long time, but she didn't continue. He couldn't help but ask, "And then?"

The Empress smiled, pursing her lips. "Let me tell you a story first. Once upon a time, there was a male pigeon and a female pigeon on a branch, and a sheep grazing below. Not long after, a big grey wolf came and ate the sheep. What do you think the female pigeon said to the male pigeon?"