In the end, Zu'an did not allow them to worship. The Sang family father and daughter were even more grateful, and Sang Hong's eyes were filled with admiration. They had once been enemies, and now they truly understood how powerful the other party was to have reached this level step by step.
"By the way, Ancestor, how exactly did you manage to save your life from the Emperor?" Sang Hong asked curiously. Sang Qian and Zheng Dan, standing beside him, also stared intently at him. This was a question on everyone's mind, since when they went to the capital, everyone thought it was a certain death.
“Perhaps it was the Emperor’s benevolence,” Zuan said. “I presented him with the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra, and after reading it, he praised me and bestowed upon me the title of baron.”
His deal with the emperor was a top secret, and naturally, it couldn't be revealed to anyone else.
"Benevolent?" A hint of sarcasm flashed across Sang Hong's face. If the emperor were benevolent, he wouldn't have ended up like this. You see, he served the emperor wholeheartedly and offended countless powerful figures. As a result, as soon as something happened, the emperor immediately abandoned him.
In fact, given his experience, he knew this was an inevitable outcome, and normally he wouldn't have reacted so strongly. But because of this incident, his only son died on the way back to Beijing, completely cutting off his family line. How could he possibly view his fate as rationally as before?
Sang Qian frowned and said, "Could it be that the Phoenix Nirvana Sutra cannot grant immortality?"
After thinking it over, this is the only explanation; otherwise, there would be no reason for the emperor to let him go.
Zuan smiled slightly: "The idea of immortality is nothing but a myth, and it's just a rumor."
This was the story he had agreed upon with the emperor. Considering the emperor's treatment of him, most people would believe it, and Zu'an could finally be freed from the situation of being an enemy of the world.
But the King of Qi was different. He was in a power struggle with the emperor, and he couldn't possibly believe the emperor's one-sided account. He would definitely need to verify it himself to feel at ease. Otherwise, if the emperor really did achieve immortality in secret, all his plans and schemes throughout his life would become a joke.
Sang Hong, however, had a knowing look on his face. Knowing the emperor as he did, he knew there must be a deeper meaning behind this move. However, he did not press the matter further. Instead, he said meaningfully, “Grandfather, you have done a great favor for our Sang family. If you need anything in the future, feel free to come to us. Although you have always been blessed with good fortune, the capital is a whirlpool where you can be crushed if you are not careful. So it is best to be cautious.”
"Thank you very much, Lord Sang." Zu An was overjoyed. You see, he knew very little about the various forces in the capital. It would be an exaggeration to say that he was completely clueless. But with the guidance of Sang Hong, an old fox who had been in politics for decades, he would be able to achieve twice the result with half the effort no matter what he did.
Sang Hong continued, "However, I'm getting old and don't have as much energy as I used to. This time, I've also suffered the blow of losing my son in my old age. If you need anything in the future, you can go directly to Xiaoqian. Her intelligence is no less than mine, and I'm sure she can help you."
Zuan was taken aback, only then noticing that back in Brightmoon City, Sang Hong, though old, had eyes full of high spirits, but now he looked dejected and aged more than ten years.
He sighed and cupped his hands in greeting to Sang Qian beside him, saying, "I may have to trouble Miss Sang a lot in the future."
"Brother Zu, you're too kind." Sang Qian smiled faintly, but glanced at her father with some doubt. She keenly realized that her father intended to match her with Zu An, but Father, if you knew about him and sister-in-law... sigh.
“By the way,” Sang Hong suddenly said, “the application we made to the Emperor has been approved. We will be setting off in the next couple of days to return to our hometown and bury Qian’er’s coffin in the Sang family ancestral cemetery. It may take some time.”
"Huh?" Zu An subconsciously looked at Zheng Dan. We just met and now we have to part again?
He understood Zheng Dan's predicament. She carried the honor of her family. Although she had not formally completed the wedding ceremony with Sang Qian, she was indeed the Sang family's lawfully wedded daughter-in-law. As long as the Sang and Zheng families did not break off the engagement, she could not leave.
Of course, leaving is an option, but if you're not careful, you'll face societal pressure and public condemnation, and the Zheng family will be criticized by everyone.
Zheng Dan also felt guilty. She didn't want to leave so soon. She had insisted on waiting a few more days because she was worried about Zu An. Now that her lover was safe and sound, she was finally relieved.
As for herself, she planned to help the Sang family get through this difficult time first. After all, the Sang family had just lost their only son and were currently handling the funeral arrangements, so it wouldn't be very kind of her to propose a divorce at this time.
Sang Qian, who was standing to the side, snorted inwardly, thinking to herself, "These two are exchanging glances in front of us. Do they think we're dead?"
And why didn't Father, who is usually so shrewd, notice his sister-in-law's unusual behavior?
Sang Hong coughed and suddenly spoke up: "By the way, Grandfather, there's something I need to remind you. I heard you've become a Gentleman of the Crown Prince. You must be careful when you go to the Eastern Palace. Although the Crown Prince is somewhat... cough cough, somewhat simple-minded, you must not mistake him for an ordinary fool. His deeper personality is actually quite cruel, and coupled with a lack of sufficient rationality to restrain him, he always does whatever he pleases. Over the years, countless eunuchs and palace maids who have unintentionally offended him are now buried with their graves overgrown with weeds. So you must not provoke him."
"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Sang." Zu An thought of the pitiful eunuchs he had seen before and nodded slightly. If an ordinary family had a mentally challenged son, he might not pose much of a threat, but the emperor's mentally challenged son was no ordinary person. As the crown prince, he naturally possessed enormous power, and if he committed evil, the harm would be immense.
Sang Hong continued, "Oh, right, there's one more thing. The young master of the Shi family, who was at odds with you in Mingyue City, is now one of the Crown Prince's retainers."
"Huh?" Zuan had almost forgotten about Brother Ribi. Back then, he hurriedly left Mingyue City and fled back to the capital. He didn't expect to meet him again so soon. It's true that you never know where you'll meet someone in life.
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