Bi Ziang's first reaction was to quickly send someone to inform his sister, lest the Empress catch them in the act.
However, upon further reflection, he immediately abandoned the idea.
Zu An was Linglong's trusted subordinate. Although he had become successful, they still maintained a master-servant relationship.
The Empress had always wanted to undermine Linglong, and this was a good opportunity for her to see for herself who Zu'an was truly on her side.
The Empress's appointment of Zu'an as Regent was indeed a very generous offer.
But the kindness Linglong showed during her impoverished days in Zu'an is far greater than any of these.
A few days ago, Bi Ziang was actually a little jealous of Zu An. He was just a commoner from a certain place, yet he had become a marquis at a young age, even surpassing him, a scion of a prestigious family in the capital.
But after witnessing Zu An's cultivation level rise higher and higher, especially his imposing manner at the Meng family that night, he completely gave up the idea of competing.
That's how people are; when the gap isn't that big, they might still feel competitive and jealous.
But when the gap becomes so disheartening, the desire to compete disappears.
On the contrary, he was glad that Linglong had been so kind to Zuan all these years. He thought to himself that it was no wonder his father often said that he only regretted that Linglong was a girl, otherwise she would definitely be more capable than him.
He was quite unconvinced at first, but now he is completely convinced. Others are only now starting to curry favor with Zuan, but they can't compare to Linglong who started making moves two years ago.
Meanwhile, after the Empress's entourage arrived at the back of the academy, she stepped out of the carriage, surveyed the surroundings, and remarked, "Jade Spring Mountain is indeed serene. Little Lü, bring a few people with you. The rest of you stay here so as not to disturb the scholars' research."
The royal family and the chief priest have an unspoken understanding that, as a sign of respect, they generally do not go to the mountain in a grand manner, even members of the royal family travel in a simple manner.
However, now that the chief priest has changed, no one knows whether this custom will continue. Seeing the empress's respect, the academy disciples not far away breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that the new chief priest's status is higher than they imagined. The higher his status, the higher the entire academy can rise accordingly.
Some people whispered among themselves, "What a lucky day it is today! First it was the Crown Princess, and now it's the Empress."
"The new chief minister is quite capable; these days, princes and nobles have been flocking to visit him."
...
As the group discussed, Liu Ning raised an eyebrow. She had now recovered her Grandmaster cultivation, and although their voices were soft, they did not escape her ears.
"You mean the Crown Princess is here too?"
Upon seeing the noble empress arrive, the two academy disciples hurriedly bowed and greeted her: "Yes, Your Majesty."
"How long has she been here? When did she leave?" Liu Ning asked casually.
"They arrived about an hour ago and haven't left yet," the disciple on the left replied.
"An hour? I feel like it's been almost two hours," the man on the right said uncertainly.
"Two hours?" Liu Ning's tone suddenly rose. What were the two talking about that had lasted so long?
She abandoned her previous calm demeanor and quickly ran towards the top of the mountain, lifting her skirt.
I don't know why, but I always have a bad feeling about it.
However, considering Bi Linglong's usually dignified and serious nature, she shouldn't be like me...
After running for a while, she suddenly paused, thinking, "Now that my cultivation has recovered, why do I still need to run?"
With a thought, he flew directly towards the mountaintop.
Her flight immediately alerted the defensive barriers of the back mountain, and some of the guards took to the air to intercept her. However, when they saw that it was the Empress, they were all startled.
"I have urgent business with the Regent. Please step aside," Liu Ning said coldly.
The guards looked at each other, but ultimately dared not stop her. After all, her status was what it was, and the chief priest was a god-level cultivator, so they weren't afraid that she would cause any trouble if she went up there.
Seeing those people make way, Liu Ning's expression softened slightly. On the way, she also saw the attendants of Bi Linglong East Palace halfway up the mountain.
They're still here, huh!
On the lotus pond atop the mountain, Rong Mo was idly teasing the fish while glancing back at the small courtyard not far away.
Thinking to myself, "It's still not over after all this time? Zuan's stamina is just too good."
Can the young lady's delicate body handle it?
As she thought about it, her little face inexplicably turned red.
Since his confrontation with Bi Linglong, their relationship has become even closer. He even brought her along this time to keep watch outside, which shows his absolute trust in her.
She secretly rejoiced that the mountaintop was the place where the chief priest secluded himself for cultivation, and that no idle people would usually approach it.
However, isn't the Crown Princess being far too reckless? It's been so long, and she still hasn't come out. The people in the Eastern Palace are probably starting to get suspicious.
Just as he was getting anxious, he saw the Empress flying towards him from afar, which almost scared him out of his wits.
She hurriedly went to greet her, shouting loudly, "This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress!"
Since regaining her cultivation, the Empress's majesty has grown stronger day by day. She knew she couldn't stop the other party and could only hope that the young lady inside would hear the warning and prepare herself.
Liu Ning frowned: "You brat, why are you making such a loud noise? Is your master doing something shady inside?"
Rong Mo felt increasingly guilty: "Your Majesty, please don't... please don't say such things!"
Liu Ning was too lazy to argue with her, so she flashed to the outside of the courtyard and pushed the door open without saying hello.
However, she was quickly stunned, because there were no unsavory scenes inside as she had imagined. Instead, the room was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, and Bi Linglong was sitting properly opposite her. Zu An seemed to be talking to her about something.
Sensing her sudden intrusion, both of them looked at her.
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