Unfortunately, she couldn't show it at all, so she could only smile and say, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Zu. There's nothing seriously wrong with my health. With some rest, I'll recover."
The maid Rong Mo, standing nearby, said with some confusion, "Oh, Your Highness, you have so many more gray hairs. If Lord Zu can cure them, please have him do it quickly..."
Before she could finish speaking, Bi Linglong glared at her and said, "Shut up!"
Rong Mo looked annoyed, but dared not say anything bad about the Crown Princess. He could only pout and glare at Zu An, muttering, "It's all this guy's fault. He only knows how to say nice things and made me misunderstand and lose face."
"How is the Crown Prince's health?" Zu asked in a mocking manner, after all, it seemed a bit inappropriate to only care about the Crown Princess in front of so many people.
"Thanks to Lord Zu's valiant protection, the Crown Prince was injured, but his life is not in danger. However, he was frightened in the secret realm and now he has nightmares and talks nonsense from time to time. The imperial physician has prescribed some calming medicine, and he should recover after a period of recuperation." Bi Linglong responded in a formulaic manner, while also taking the opportunity to praise Zu An's contribution. Sure enough, the others looked at Zu An with envious eyes after hearing this, and at this moment she felt quite relieved.
"It's good that you're alright." Zu'an wasn't really concerned about the Crown Prince. Thinking of what he had seen and heard when he entered the palace, he then asked, "I heard that the demon race has invaded?"
“That’s right,” Bi Linglong said with a serious expression. “The news just came back to the capital last night that the demon race has broken through the northern defense line and even massacred the important border town of Mobei.”
"Massacre of a city?" Zu An's expression turned somewhat grim. He had only ever seen such words in history books before, and he never imagined that he would experience them up close one day.
"That's right, leave no one alive, the demons are truly despicable!" A look of hatred flashed in Bi Linglong's eyes.
"What does the imperial court intend to do?" Zu'an asked.
Bi Linglong replied, "The people argued fiercely during the morning court session, but they were mostly in favor of war. Since the founding of our Great Zhou Dynasty, we have never suffered such a great loss. To swallow our anger is not in the character of the people of Great Zhou. Even the students from the National Academy went to the palace gate to petition, offering to go to the front lines to kill the demons. However, the court naturally disagreed. The blood of the National Academy represents the future pillars of the nation; how can we allow them to sacrifice themselves on the front lines prematurely?"
"I heard that the person chosen for this expedition is likely to be the Duke of Cheng?" Zu An asked for confirmation.
Bi Linglong's expression changed slightly. She waved her hand to dismiss the others, but left a maid named Rong Mo by her side to prove her innocence: "Indeed, if I'm not surprised, it should be the Duke of Cheng. In the entire court, in terms of reputation and seniority, there is no one more suitable than the Duke of Cheng."
Zu An tentatively asked, "The Duke of Cheng is not necessarily a bad thing for the Crown Prince."
Bi Linglong shook her head and gave him a deep look: "It might have been a good thing before, but it might not be now."
Zuan was taken aback, but immediately realized that they had experienced being hostile to the emperor in the secret realm, so the current situation where the emperor and the Qi Prince's faction were checking and balancing each other was the most advantageous for them.
Rong Mo, standing to the side, glanced at Zu An and then at Bi Linglong, wondering if they were speaking in riddles, as he couldn't quite understand what they were saying.
Each of the three was preoccupied with their own thoughts, and a strange silence fell over the room.
After a while, a maid came to report: "Your Highness, someone from the Imperial Study has sent word that His Majesty summons Lord Zu."
Rong Mo couldn't help but say sourly, "Lord Zu is truly favored by the Emperor; he summons you every few days."
She has served the Crown Princess diligently in the palace for so many years, yet the Emperor has never summoned her alone.
Zuan replied, "There's no way around it; with great power comes great responsibility."
Rong Mo: "..."
I felt as if I had been offended.
Bi Linglong looked worried. Only she knew that this might not necessarily mean favor. She quietly transmitted her voice with her inner energy and said, "Be careful."
Zuan smiled at her: "Don't worry, I still need to heal and recover for you, how could I bear to have something happen to you prematurely?"
Bi Linglong spat inwardly, "You scoundrel!"
Rong Mo, standing to the side, had a strange expression on her face. She also saw Zu An's inexplicable smile. Of course, she didn't think that Zu An would dare to flirt with the Crown Princess so boldly. She subconsciously thought that he was teasing her and wondered if this guy had developed a lustful desire for her beauty.
Hmph, a toad trying to eat swan meat.
Zu An arrived at the Imperial Study and nodded to Eunuch Wen when he met him. Eunuch Wen smiled back, but after Zu An entered the room, he quietly shook his head.
Even Zhu Xiechi could sense the emperor's changing preferences. As the emperor's confidant, how could he not notice the emperor's changing attitude towards Zu'an?
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" After entering the Imperial Study, Zu An noticed that the Emperor's face was as cold as ice, clearly indicating that he was in a bad mood.
"Sit!" the emperor said, pointing to the stool beside him.
Zu An was immediately flattered. This was probably the first time he had been offered a seat in the Imperial Study after so many visits.
However, he immediately realized that something was amiss.
He had been an emperor for many years in the Yin Ruins, and he immediately realized that this was a common tactic of emperors. They would clearly have murderous intentions towards you, but instead treat you with all kinds of favors to lull you into a false sense of security.
Zuan was puzzled. Could it be that the secret realm had been exposed?
No, if those things were exposed, the emperor would have torn him to pieces on the spot, instead of playing these games.
That was probably his instinct as an emperor; he was worried that the matter of the split soul would be exposed, and he didn't want the survivors who passed through the secret realm to live.
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