On the surface, Zuan appeared meek and obedient, but inwardly he sneered, "You probably never dreamed that you would fall into my hands."
The emperor suddenly noticed his strange expression and subconsciously felt a little displeased. He thought the guy was annoying and he would definitely get rid of him after he was done with him.
His face remained expressionless as he continued, "It was decided at this morning's court session that Qin Zheng will lead the northern expedition to deal with the demons harassing the border."
Zu An was taken aback. He didn't understand why the other party would say this to him, but he still replied respectfully, "The Duke of Cheng is a famous general in the world and is deeply loved by the army. He will surely return victorious from this trip."
"Deeply loved by the army?" The emperor sneered, but did not continue the topic. Instead, he changed the subject, "With Qin Zheng gone, Prince Qi is like a man missing an arm, so we must make good use of this window of opportunity."
Zu An felt a chill run down his spine. The emperor was indeed going to take action against the Prince of Qi. Just as Sang Hong and his daughter had predicted, the emperor would first eliminate the Prince's allies before finally striking at his heart.
"I heard you're quite popular in brothels?" The emperor suddenly looked at him with a half-smile.
Zuan was completely bewildered. "Brother, can you please stop jumping around like this?" He quickly said in a serious tone, "I am an upright person and have never liked to go to those filthy places."
Although visiting brothels is not illegal in this world, it is still something that cannot be discussed openly. He was unsure of the other party's intentions and worried about implicating Qiu Honglei and others, so he immediately denied it.
"Heh, the crime of deceiving the emperor is punishable by death," the emperor's face darkened. "I've heard that the most beautiful courtesans in Mingyue City and the Jiaofangsi in the capital are both deeply infatuated with you."
Zuan: "..."
"Perhaps I'm just naturally more likable." His doubts grew stronger. Why was the other party bringing up this topic? Did they know about his relationship with the Demonic Sect?
The emperor gave him a deep look, then casually asked, "Do you know Yu Nan, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery?"
"I've heard a little about it." Zu An felt like his back was about to break. They were talking about courtesans just a moment ago, how did it suddenly turn into Yu Nan?
"What do you think of him?" the emperor asked.
Zuan almost blurted out, "He's almost as handsome as me," but quickly stopped himself at the last second: "Born into a prestigious family, and incredibly dashing..."
He figured that since the other party was, after all, the emperor's brother-in-law, there should still be some mutual flattery.
"Speak like a human being!" The emperor glared at him with displeasure.
"Uh, a bit too extravagant." Zu An immediately realized that the Yu family was part of the Qi King's faction, so how could the emperor possibly like to hear his praise?
Thinking back to what I had seen at the Qi Prince's mansion, that this guy actually fed pigs human milk to make the pork more tender, it was really unsettling.
"It's more than just extravagance and debauchery." The emperor snorted coldly, clearly also dissatisfied with him. "He's in your hands now. Within a month, get him kicked out of the court."
Zuan: "???"
"Although I am indeed very capable, does the Emperor have too high expectations of me? How can I possibly handle such a matter?"
The Vice Minister of the Chancellery is already a high-ranking official in the court. More importantly, he is the eldest son of the Yu family, and his wife is the emperor's sister. With such a background, how could he be dismissed so easily?
"That's something you need to consider. Send that maid from the Prince Qi's residence to the palace so she can focus on dealing with Yu Nan's matter." The emperor picked up his teacup again, this time making his intention to see the guest out quite clear.
...
Even after leaving the Imperial Study, Zu An was still in a daze.
If there were a pill to undo regrets, he certainly wouldn't have reported the drowning of the Prince Qi's concubine so quickly. Alas, capitalists are indeed ruthless; even working people have to learn to slack off.
"Why is Lord Zu sighing so deeply?" Just then, a soft voice sounded from the side.
Zu An turned around and saw Bai Fei standing not far away, smiling at him. Today, she was wearing a white palace dress with a fiery red cloak over it. Compared to her usual gentle and graceful demeanor, she looked even more vibrant and charming today.
"Greetings, Consort Bai!" Zu An bowed, with palace maids and eunuchs watching over him; the proper etiquette could not be omitted.
"Lord Zu, there's no need for such formalities. You saved the Crown Prince and his sister, the Crown Princess, and I haven't had a chance to thank you yet," Consort Bai said with a sweet smile.
That beautiful smile made Zu An momentarily lose his composure. Was this woman really a mother? "Your Majesty, you are too kind. This is my duty, and I dare not take credit for it."
Bai Fei gestured for her subordinates to stay put, while she took the lead and walked towards the pavilion in the pool. Zu An followed her.
"Lord Zu hasn't said why he's upset yet?" Bai Fei smiled gently, giving one a sense of peace and tranquility, as if returning home.
"It's just some work-related stuff, nothing to mention." Zu An couldn't figure out what the other person's relationship with the emperor was, so naturally he didn't dare to tell her everything.
"With Lord Zu's abilities, I believe he can resolve this quickly." Bai Fei's voice was soft and gentle, as if one's ears were being massaged. "Since Lord Zu came out of the secret realm, he hasn't come to see me even once. Is he deliberately avoiding me?"
Zu An's expression was strange: "If Your Highness says such things in the palace, people might misunderstand."
In the past, Zu'an would have teased her a bit, but after learning that she had a very close relationship with the emperor before entering the secret realm, he dared not act rashly now.
"What are you thinking, Lord Zu? I mean you borrowed my things and haven't returned them to me for so long, so I had no choice but to come and ask for them back in person." Bai Fei smiled and stretched out her hand in front of him, revealing a section of her fair and beautiful wrist.
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