Chapter 1936: Why Is His Timing Always So On Point
After some time had passed, Bi Linglong hit Zu An’s back playfully, mumbling, “I can’t breathe.”
Zu An finally released her. When he looked into her face, which had reddened from near-suffocation, he felt that she looked even more beautiful under the candlelight’s glow. He said, “Thank you, Linglong.”
“What are you thanking me for?” Bi Linglong raised her head and asked childishly. She almost seemed like an entirely different person from the usual crown princess.
“Thank you for saving the Qin and Murong clans,” Zu An said, hugging her petite body. His expression became even more gentle.
“Do we even need to thank each other with our level of relationship?” Bi Linglong replied, drawing circles gently on his chest with her finger. “Besides, with your present cultivation, even if I didn’t do anything, it wouldn’t have been too difficult for you to bring them out yourself.”
“That’s different,” Zu An said, shaking his head. “If I wanted to bring them out, I would have had to use brute force. But you were able to do it in accordance with the court’s rules. That saved me a lot of worries.”
“With your current strength, would you still have to worry about the court’s laws? You’re only saying that to make me feel better,” Bi Linglong said with a light sigh, but her eyes were full of gratitude.
Zu An chuckled, saying “That’s not all, actually. Because I was only an ordinary person in my homeland, I actually really dislike privileges that are above the law. I feel that things of that sort that aren't kept in check can easily produce seeds of trouble. I don't wish to become someone like that, so I always did my best to do things according to the law.
“But who could have predicted that the Meng clan and King Dai would push me that far? I'm not the sort to be too rigid and inflexible. Since they didn’t want any face, I decided to help them lose it.”
Bi Linglong was a bit confused. She said, “Ah Zu, your ideals seem to be a bit ahead of your time. For the common people, that is indeed good news, but for rulers like us, that only serves as a disadvantage.”
Zu An sighed, saying, “You’re exactly right.”
Bi Linglong smiled, saying, “Ah Zu, don’t worry. I don’t want you to become the kind of person you said either. I'll do my best to uphold the law, keeping the influential officials in check and protecting the common people, too."
Zu An felt warm inside. He said, “That integrity of yours is rare, and really special.”
This world’s feudal society was more exaggerated than that of ancient China. After all, the people in the court were all cultivators, so they were countless times stronger than the officials of the feudal dynasties of his world. Ordinary people wouldn’t have any way of resisting them.
“Ah Zu, people like you are even more rare and special. You're clearly so strong, and yet you still think for the sake of ordinary people,” Bi Linglong said, looking at the man in front of her with her beautiful eyes. “Ah Zu, I never could have imagined that your cultivation was actually this high.”
She already had the most detailed report on what had happened in the Meng manor on her desk. When she read about how the strongest of experts had all been slaughtered like chickens by Zu An, she had been so shocked she entered a complete daze. The terrifying pressure he'd released at that time felt almost as if Zhao Han had reappeared in this world. She felt as if she and Ah Zu had become really estranged after all. She didn’t even know just how strong he was now.
“Do you blame me for hiding those things from you?” Zu An asked.
“You didn’t even blame me for not saving the Qin and Murong clans, so how could I blame you?” Bi Linglong replied with a chuckle. “Besides, you don’t even wish to break the law with your strength and authority, so there's even less of a reason for you to want to expose yourself.”
“The main reason for all of this is because I went through many battles in the secret dungeon I entered last, and through some miraculous opportunities, I was able to become much stronger. I wanted to spend some time in seclusion to consolidate my cultivation, but these people never gave me the chance to,” Zu An said, feeling a bit annoyed.
Bi Linglong consoled him with a smile, saying, “Actually, King Dai and the Meng clan courting death actually ended up resolving a huge headache of mine.”
The princes had all been getting restless, as they all desired the position of crown prince. She had been under heavy pressure dealing with it all. And yet now, after what happened today, all of those problems were resolved. After seeing how King Dai and the Meng clan had met their end, who would still dare to cause any more trouble?
When he looked at the flickering candle flames, and how Bi Linglong’s smile was even more captivating than those candles, Zu An was suddenly a bit stirred. He replied, “Then how exactly did you plan to thank me?”
Bi Linglong’s heart pounded. She pursed her lips and said quietly, “I’m only wearing informal clothes today.”
Zu An felt something stir powerfully. Usually, Bi Linglong wore her splendid crown princess clothing to look pretty, but it always got in the way of certain things. After all, such palace outfits were extremely complicated and could only be properly worn with the help of a few maids working together, so they weren’t so easy to remove and just as hard to put on again. As such, the implications behind her choice to wear informal clothes went without saying.
There was no need to explain things, however. Zu An took her into his arms, and at the same time, he lowered his head to kiss her tender and beautiful red lips. Bi Linglong groaned. Her delicate arms wrapped around his neck.
Just then, however, a large fatty ran into the courtyard energetically. His expression was full of excitement as he said, “I heard that Sir Zu entered the palace! Hurry and let me see him.” There was a group of eunuchs and maids behind him. Naturally, he was the crown prince, Zhao Ruizhi.
The two people inside felt their entire bodies stiffen when they heard the voice.
Why is his timing always so on point?
“Please halt, crown prince. The crown princess is currently discussing important matters of state inside with Sir Zu right now,” Rong Mo said, quickly stopping the crown prince.
Bi Linglong clearly sighed in relief when she heard Rong Mo's voice. Her body also gradually softened.
The crown prince was a bit unhappy to hear that, protesting, “Why are you stopping me again? Sir Zu can go to Linglong’s place, so why can’t I?”
Rong Mo said with a frown, “Crown prince, please do not let your emotions affect your decisions. They are really discussing important matters right now. If the crown prince has something important to say, please tell this humble servant. This servant will inform them later.”
The crown prince’s eyes gradually lit up. He replied, “Okay! Go and tell Sir Zu that I want him to become my master.”
Inside, Bi Linglong blushed. She looked at the man who was almost within reach in front of her, and her sparkling eyes seemed to be silently saying ‘Can you believe he actually wants you to become his master?!’.
Zu An moved closer to her ear and whispered, “I can teach him spear skills that emphasize penetration.”
Bi Linglong playfully struck his chest in embarrassment. She couldn't help but move closer and bite him fiercely.
Outside, Rong Mo said, “Crown prince, Sir Zu is the crown prince’s chamberlain, so he is already considered your teacher.”
“That’s different. I want to learn how Sir Zu flies into the sky and can fire beams of light whenever he wants! I was even able to see what he did. It was so cool!” the crown prince exclaimed; his desire to have fun had clearly started up again.
Rong Mo was getting a headache. She could only say in agreement, “Alright, crown prince. I will inform Sir Zu of this matter later.”
The crown prince shook his head, saying, “I read from a book that you have to express your own sincerity when you want someone else to become your master. Only then will the master teach you his real skills. If you were the one who told him, how could my sincerity be expressed? I will wait right here for him to come out, then personally ask him to be my master!” Then, he gestured for the eunuchs and maids to bring out several gifts they had brought along. He showed them off proudly, saying, “Look, these are all the gifts I brought to make him my master.”
Rong Mo glanced toward the room and said, “Crown prince, Sir Zu is going to take a long time inside. It is already late in the evening, so the crown prince should get some rest.”
“No, I’m still full of energy! All of you had better stay awake too! If you dare break any of the gifts, this crown prince is going to skin you all alive!” the crown prince threatened his servants.
“Understood!” the servants replied, although they were crying out miserably inside as they held the gifts. They knew that the crown prince wasn’t just speaking empty words. He had never held back when he dished out physical punishment, and the servants around him often became maimed or crippled. None of them wanted to serve him, but they had no choice.
Rong Mo saw that Zhao Ruizhi wasn’t going to leave, but there was nothing she could do. He was the crown prince, after all, and she couldn't force him to leave. Still, as long as he didn’t go in, her task could be considered complete. But she wondered if the people inside would find it a bit strange…
…
Shortly after, the crown prince sat down in the courtyard and yawned. He asked impatiently, “Why is Sir Zu taking so long?”
All of the servants behind him were troubled. Their arms were already really sore from carrying the gifts. They felt as if the gifts in their hands were getting heavier and heavier. Those with weaker physiques already felt their arms start to droop, and they could only secretly raise their legs to support the gifts they were carrying. That way, at least, they could get a moment of rest before they picked up and carried the gifts again.
Eventually, however, they couldn't hold on anymore, so they could only lower their arms again and use their legs to help carry the weight. At first, they tried to do it secretly for fear that the crown prince would find out. But eventually, their arms reached their limit and they couldn't be bothered trying to hide it. Just like that, they continuously raised and lowered the gifts again. Many of the maids were already so tired that fine sweat appeared between their brows. They could only grit their teeth and hold on; only then could they stop themselves from making any sound.
Still, they didn’t even know how much longer they could hold on for. Even though the winds outside were bitter and cold, their entire bodies had long since been soaked in sweat. They all wished badly that a pair of strong arms would hold them. That way, they wouldn’t have to exert any more strength.
Rong Mo said just then, “Sir Zu has always taken a long time during these meetings, so I fear that he will not come back out for some time. Crown prince, your respected self should return and get some rest first.”
“No, I will stand here to express my sincerity!” the crown prince replied. However, his tone was no longer as firm as before. For him, every decision he made was out of short-lived passion. The fact that he could hold on for so long this time was only because Zu An’s performance was too cool, filling him with yearning.
Rong Mo quickly said, “Respected crown prince has already stood here for a long time and expressed your sincerity, and your respected self should know that Sir Zu has always been kind to the ordinary servants. If he came out and saw that they were tormented like this, perhaps he could really become upset.”
The crown prince recalled how Zu An had acted when disciplining him and shivered. His desire to make Zu An his master even weakened a bit.
He quickly ordered his subordinates, “This crown prince is the best at empathizing with my subordinates. All of you, leave the gifts here and follow me back.”
When they heard what he said, the servants could no longer hold on and lowered the heavy gifts to the ground. They sighed in relief, and heavy, hurried gasps soon filled the air.
When the servants followed the crown prince out, Rong Mo sighed in relief. Her thoughts were inscrutable, but there was a trace of worry between her brows.
…
Meanwhile, the empress had just dealt with the Meng clan's affairs and returned to the Palace of Peace. The first thing she did was prepare for a bath and a change of clothes. At the same time, she asked, “Little Lu, did Zu An enter the palace? No, how could I have him enter the palace and wait for me? You should hurry and invite him, while I’ll wait for him here.”
Eunuch Lu had a strange expression as he said, “Your highness, Sir Zu has already entered the palace, but he went to the crown princess’ side first.”
The empress’ expression changed. She asked, “How long has he been at the Eastern Palace?”
“It has already been many hours. I wonder what kinds of important matters they are discussing; the crown prince is still standing guard outside,” Eunuch Lu replied.
The empress harrumphed. “Those two really don’t know how easily scandals arise. Are they not worried about gossip spreading?”
Eunuch Lu remarked with a deep sigh, “After what happened tonight, who would dare to speak any gossip?”
The empress figured that what he said made sense. After Zu An’s performance in the Meng manor, who would still dare to offend him?
Furthermore, that young woman Bi Linglong had always been upright and honorable in her conduct, and she carried the prestige of someone in a high position, which imperceptibly pushed everyone else away. Everyone inside and outside of the palace was convinced of her integrity. And with the crown prince standing outside, there was even less of a chance of the two of them doing anything.
Still, she just felt a bit vexed inside. She said, “Little Lu, go and make a trip to the Eastern Palace. You must invite Sir Zu over.”
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