Seeing the two eunuchs' questioning looks, Zu An cleared his throat: "I'm still in good spirits, so I'll go visit the Crown Prince... and the Crown Princess."

In the past, one had to find a legitimate reason so as not to arouse suspicion.

As expected, the two eunuchs were immediately astonished: "Lord Zu's loyalty and courage are truly admirable."

The two men flattered him profusely, so they dared not stop him and carried him toward the East Palace.

Bi Linglong was restless in the East Palace. Although she had just dealt with the situation, the Emperor was extremely suspicious and worried that if he noticed anything amiss, they would all be doomed.

Upon hearing her subordinates announce that Zu An was requesting an audience, she was overjoyed and instinctively stood up to go out and greet him.

However, she immediately noticed the surprised look in the eyes of the maid Rong Mo. She quickly went to the side, picked up a cup of tea to cover her embarrassment, and after calming down, said, "Summon him in."

At this moment, she was no longer the girl in the secret realm who was devoted to her lover, but had returned to her former noble and dignified Crown Princess.

Her previously anxious heart gradually calmed down. The fact that Zuan was here proved that their plan had succeeded.

Zuan was quickly carried in. Seeing him lying on the stretcher, Bi Linglong's lips curled up slightly. This guy really put on a good act.

However, she still had to put on an act in front of others, so she made a point of inquiring about his injuries and expressing her and the Crown Prince's gratitude for saving his life.

At the same time, he instructed a maid to take two eunuchs down to have tea and snacks, and to fetch some precious medicinal herbs from the Eastern Palace to treat his injuries and nourish his body.

After Rong Mo and the two eunuchs left, she asked in a low voice, "You didn't encounter any danger when you went to the Imperial Study, did you?"

"Is the Crown Princess concerned about me?" Zu An asked with a grin.

"Pah!" Bi Linglong spat, looking around guiltily. Seeing that no one had noticed, she whispered, "Now that we're back in the palace, there are many eyes and ears around. You should be careful what you say to avoid being discovered."

Zuan smiled and said, "What are you afraid of? At worst, I'll elope with you."

Seeing his shameless demeanor, Bi Linglong felt a surge of anger and wanted nothing more than to bite him. She blurted out, "Then what about Miss Chu?"

Zuan's breath hitched. In this life-or-death situation, choosing either option was wrong. Although he wanted to say nonchalantly that he wanted them all, he knew he would die a glorious death.

An eerie silence fell over the room. Zu'an quickly changed the subject: "Something did happen in the Imperial Study just now..."

Bi Linglong regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth, so she cooperated and didn't continue the conversation.

Upon hearing that Zhao Ruizhi still had a jade pendant containing images of his life, Bi Linglong turned pale.

"However, it seems that nothing was recorded inside. It's possible that the energy that erupted during the battle between Zhao Ruizhi and Xu Fu was too intense to be recorded normally." Zu'an had been thinking about this all the way, and this was the most reasonable guess he could come up with.

Bi Linglong hesitated for a moment: "Do you think the jade pendant might actually record...our affairs, but the Emperor is holding back for some reason, waiting to deal with us in the future?"

Zuan laughed: "Do you think that's possible?"

Bi Linglong was taken aback, then her expression softened: "It's indeed unlikely. Given the Emperor's personality, he would never tolerate such things if he knew, especially since you and the Empress..."

At this point, she suddenly stiffened, her gaze towards him becoming rather dangerous: "I almost forgot about this in the secret realm. I remember you mentioned that you and the Empress still..."

Zu An hurriedly interrupted, "That was just because he thought he was going to die, so he deliberately provoked him."

"Really?" Bi Linglong was still doubtful and wanted to ask again when suddenly the eunuch's voice came from outside:

"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"

Bi Linglong was taken aback, but quickly realized, "It's really something I shouldn't say."

She hurriedly got up, straightened her clothes, and went out to greet them. She bumped into the Empress and her entourage at the door.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Bi Linglong bowed.

"Linglong, no need for formalities." The Empress warmly helped her up. "Oh dear, your hair has all turned white. It breaks my heart to see you like this. Quickly sit down and rest, don't wander off..."

She helped Bi Linglong inside, and suddenly noticed Zu An on a stretcher next to her, and froze.

Bi Linglong's gaze swept back and forth between her and Zu An, her suspicion growing stronger.

However, the Empress was a woman who had experienced many trials and tribulations, and she quickly recovered. She smiled and said, "So Lord Zu is here too. I heard that Lord Zu made great contributions in the secret realm and was seriously injured while saving the Crown Prince and Crown Princess."

Looking at the mature and beautiful noblewoman in front of him, Zu An couldn't help but recall the intense scene of the two of them being evenly matched and encountering a worthy opponent that night, and his heart warmed a little.

However, he immediately noticed Bi Linglong's suspicious look and came back to his senses, saying seriously, "Your Majesty is too kind. This is what we, as your subjects, should do."

The Empress couldn't help but pat Bi Linglong's hand: "Look at you, look at you! I'm so envious of your Eastern Palace having such loyal subordinates. I really wish I could have one for myself."

Bi Linglong's expression grew increasingly strange. If she didn't know the relationship between the two, hearing this wouldn't have been a problem, but knowing that the two might have that kind of relationship, hearing this made her feel very strange.

I suspect you two were doing something indecent in front of me, but unfortunately I have no proof.

She smiled and said, "Lord Zu is indeed excellent. The Crown Prince also likes him. After spending time with him these past few days, he can no longer accept any other teachings from him."

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