Chapter 917: Sleepiness Comes, Someone Offers a Pillow

That cunning old man clearly had a plan to deal with Yu Nan but wouldn't say it directly, insisting on hinting at it indirectly. However, he understood that as emperor, the man needed to save face. Teaching his subordinates such underhanded tactics would damage his reputation if it ever got out.

"Damn it, what about my reputation?" Zu An couldn't help but grumble.

The House of Red Sleeves was the most famous brothel in the capital, on par with the Imperial Music Bureau. The difference was that the Imperial Music Bureau was state-owned, while the House of Red Sleeves was privately run. However, to operate in the capital—a place where you could hit several court officials just by throwing a brick—and still rival the Imperial Music Bureau, one could imagine the power of its owner.

For many years, many had tried to uncover the identity of the House of Red Sleeves' owner, but no one had succeeded. Even the Embroidered Uniform Guard had no relevant information.

Zu An couldn't help but pat Xiao Jianren's shoulder. "Well, Old Xiao, I never knew you had a liking for this kind of place; you're so familiar with information about brothels."

Xiao Jianren's old face flushed. "Reporting, My Lord, I don't have such a liking. It's just that I usually enjoy sitting in the Embroidered Uniform Guard's building and poring over various intelligence reports in the archives, and I happened to come across it."

Zu An was momentarily stunned. He recalled that when he had just entered the room, Xiao Jianren was indeed buried in a vast pile of documents. This guy was clearly a bookworm.

He reminded him, "You should still go out more. If you just hide indoors reading all the time, your eyes will easily become nearsighted."

"Nearsighted?" Xiao Jianren looked a bit bewildered.

"It means you can't see distant objects clearly; you have to get close to see them." Zu An wondered if he could somehow produce and sell eyeglasses in this world. The Valkyries he was training now were all money pits; every improvement required funds.

Xiao Jianren nodded. "Then I might actually have it. Nowadays, I often have to hold my books very close to read them."

Zu An smiled. No wonder his eyes always looked a bit dull; it turned out he was nearsighted.

"Oh, right, what's the name of that courtesan?" The eyeglasses could wait; the immediate priority was to resolve his current predicament.

"Wait..." Xiao Jianren closed his eyes and thought. "I think her name was Nan...Xun. Yes, Nan Xun."

Zu An was taken aback. "You don't even need to consult records? You remember the name of a courtesan?"

Xiao Jianren pointed to his head and chuckled sheepishly. "Everything I read is stored in my mind, as if I have a library in my head. When I need it, I just retrieve it, no different from checking an archive in reality."

Zu An was utterly amazed. This guy had actually mastered the method of memory palace; in his previous life, he would have been considered a genius too.

"Well done!" Zu An patted his shoulder in encouragement. He thought to himself that making eyeglasses needed to be put on the agenda; such a talent certainly needed to be strongly courted.

After leaving the Embroidered Uniform Guard's building, Zu An went to the East Palace. After all, Bi Linglong there was still worried. He first returned to White Sand Courtyard to change back into his own clothes. Then, making sure no one saw him, he took a roundabout route back to the East Palace.

"Sigh, playing multiple roles like this is a bit tiring," Zu An secretly sighed to himself while reporting his recent experiences to Bi Linglong.

"Dealing with Yu Nan?" Bi Linglong was initially happy to see him return safely—after the events in the secret realm, every time Zu An was summoned by the emperor, she worried he might be risking his life. However, upon hearing about his new assignment, her elegant brows furrowed immediately. "Yu Nan is the successor of the Yu family and married to a princess; how can he be dealt with so easily?"

"I have to deal with him even if it's difficult; the Emperor only gave me one month." Zu An hesitated for a moment and still didn't mention the brothel courtesan. He had just managed to pacify her; he didn't want to ignite a powder keg over this.

"I'll help you think of a way too. At worst, I'll plead with the Emperor then," Bi Linglong said, sounding a bit indignant. "How could someone like Yu Nan be handled in just one month?"

Zu An quickly dissuaded her, "Absolutely not! Anyone else can plead on my behalf, but not you. Because of the secret realm incident, the Emperor already suspects our relationship; your pleading would only add fuel to the fire."

"What then?" Bi Linglong pondered and said, "I'll see if the Bi family can find a way to bring him down."

Seeing her so concerned for him, Zu An's heart warmed. "Don't worry, I've already found a way."

"What way?" Bi Linglong asked, a little curious.

"It's just an initial idea; it still needs further verification," Zu An explained vaguely.

Bi Linglong murmured an 'oh' and didn't press further. The two soon chatted about other everyday matters. Unfortunately, in a place like the East Palace, private time was scarce, making every second precious.

Although private time was hard to come by, Bi Linglong still found an excuse to keep Zu An there. After all, he was still the Crown Prince's Vice Tutor, and it was his duty to work in the East Palace. Of course, the main reason Bi Linglong kept him was the intimate relationship they had formed in the secret realm. She instinctively wanted to see him more.

It was almost evening when he left the palace. Zu An went home to change his clothes. After all, going to a brothel in official attire was practically asking for trouble.

However, he hadn't expected Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe to already be waiting at home.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, my maternal grandfather is going to war soon!" Chu Youzhao exclaimed excitedly.

Zu An couldn't help but say, "It's one thing not to worry about him going to war, but why do you seem so happy about it?"

"Hmph, my maternal grandfather is so formidable anyway. The demon race will surely flee at his mere presence, so what's there to worry about?" Chu Youzhao said with a grin. "Mainly, I've been under my maternal grandfather's strict supervision lately, making it hard to go out. Once he's gone, I can come play with brother-in-law more often!"

Zu An felt a headache coming on. He thought to himself, if this tag-along was always with him, how could he have any fun?

Murong Qinghe, who was standing by, was also a bit puzzled. She wondered if the relationship between Young Master Chu and his brother-in-law wasn't a bit too good. Was it because he lacked male playmates his age growing up?

"Don't just think about playing every day. If you neglect your cultivation and studies, your sister will come looking for me next time," Zu An said sternly, lecturing him. Being an elder was great; he clearly didn't want this tag-along, but he could still use high-sounding reasons to achieve his goal.

"How annoying, why are you acting like an old man too?" Chu Youzhao pouted, clearly displeased.

Just then, a faint voice came from the door outside: "Is Lord Zu here?"

Zu An turned to look and saw two people standing at the door. The older one had a serious expression, while the younger one had a gloomy demeanor.

"Ah, Brother Gao and Brother Pei, please come in quickly." Zu An recognized them: Gao Ying of the Liu family and Pei You of the Pei family. Speaking of which, those two were truly lucky; in the secret realm, with the world collapsing around them, they somehow managed to hide and survive.

"No, no, Lord Zu is our savior; just calling us by our names is fine," the two quickly replied, no longer maintaining their aloof demeanor.

"Oh, you two usually act so high and mighty, but today you've changed your tune?" As prominent young masters from influential families in the capital, Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe naturally recognized them. Belonging to different factions, they naturally had some animosity towards each other.

Gao Ying said calmly, "Lord Zu saved our lives, so of course we should show respect. We came today to invite Lord Zu out for a drink, to express our gratitude."

Chu Youzhao's eyes lit up immediately. "Drinking? I want to go too!"

Pei You frowned. Normally, he naturally disliked those from Prince Qi's faction. However, considering that the other party's sister was Zu An's wife, he didn't refuse. "You can go, but it might not be convenient for Miss Murong."

"Why?" Murong Qinghe's elegant brows shot up. She was a well-known tomboy and a feisty character in the military, only maintaining a quiet demeanor in front of Chu Youzhao.

Pei You snorted and offered no explanation. It was Gao Ying who smoothed things over. "Because we're going to the House of Red Sleeves later, and it's not very convenient for young ladies to go to such a place."