Chapter 1865: You Don’t Want Others to Know, Right?
Zhao Xiaodie suddenly got up and looked in the direction of the entrance. When she saw Zu An, a beautiful l.u.s.ter ignited in her previously dim eyes. Seemingly recovering a bit of vitality, she exclaimed, “Big brother Zu!”
“I don’t believe that the princess and I are that close to each other,” Zu An said, his face twitching.
Zhao Xiaodie was about to say something when she suddenly closed her mouth and gave the servants and guards outside a look. Zu An frowned and had them withdraw.
Those people looked at each other in dismay, asking, “Sir Zu, isn’t this a bit unsuitable?”
Zu An replied coldly, “Are you worried that I would do something to the princess in broad daylight? Or are you worried that we might fabricate a story together?”
“We wouldn’t dare!” they replied. They didn’t dare to say too much due to the pressure his voice gave them, all got up to leave.
“Princess, can you speak now?” Zu An asked as he looked at Zhao Xiaodie. Even though her face was a bit wan and sallow, she was still beautiful. Without her usual bossy and domineering nature, she now had a pitiful air instead.
“Big brother Zu treated me like that back then, and yet you’re still saying we’re not close…” Zhao Xiaodie said, her pale face turning a bit red. It was unclear what she was thinking. Her expression was rather strange.
Zu An knew that she was talking about her a.s.sa.s.sination attempt on him, which had gotten her a spanking in return. He remembered that she seemed to be an M. When he saw that, he turned to leave, saying, “If you won’t speak, then I’m leaving.”
“No!” Zhao Xiaodie exclaimed as she quickly grabbed him. A wave of fragrance spread toward Zu An from her body. When she saw him frown, she quickly said, “This fragrance doesn’t have poison.”
Zu An moved her hand away in a tactful manner. He found a chair to sit down on and waited for her following words.
When she saw that he didn’t have any intention of leaving anymore, Zhao Xiaodie sighed in relief. Her voice trembled a bit as she asked, “Big brother Zu, did something happen to my dad?”
“This matter is…” Zu An began. Midway through his sentence, he saw her pleading look and felt his heart soften. He said, “King Qi has indeed already pa.s.sed.”
“Ahhh!” Zhao Xiaodie cried. Even though she’d already had her suspicions, when she received confirmation, her face turned completely pale, and she staggered. If not because there was a table supporting her, she would likely have already collapsed to the ground.
“How did he die?” Zhao Xiaodie asked, suddenly looking up at Zu An. There was a faint flame burning in her eyes.
“It has nothing to do with me. I believe you can guess what happened too,” Zu An said coldly.
When she heard that it had nothing to do with him, Zhao Xiaodie’s nervous heart suddenly calmed down. She said with a sigh, “I actually already expected this day would come eventually. It’s just that I didn’t expect it to be so soon. His majesty is unrivaled and his schemes run deep. No matter how formidable my father is, how could he possibly win against him?”
Zu An only replied with silence.
Zhao Xiaodie suddenly asked, “Big brother Zu, can you help save our King Qi Manor? After what happened at Violet Mountain, our King Qi Manor will definitely be finished. My mother, my older brother, and countless clans related to us will all meet tragic ends.”
When she thought about the executions that would follow, she couldn't help but shiver all over. Even if they didn’t die by a thousand cuts, they would be thrown into places such as the government brothel. When she thought about how revered queens and princesses would fall to such a state, being humiliated and defiled by lowly men, she felt her entire body become a bit cold.
“Could it be that the princess has made some kind of mistake here? Everyone knows that your esteemed father and I were sworn enemies. He was itching to get rid of me, and yet you want me to save his people now?” Zu An replied coldly.
“My father had some misunderstandings with you in the past, but strictly speaking, you haven’t lost anything, and the one who lost more was my father. I know this request might be a bit excessive, but can I ask you to help me as a personal favor?” Zhao Xiaodie asked, kneeling down in front of him. She grabbed his clothes and looked at him with a pleading expression, saying, “I will devote my entire self to you in this life.”
Zu An quickly supported her to her feet and said, “There’s no need for the princess to go that far. This matter is an extremely grave affair and it isn’t something I can make a decision on. I apologize.”
He was about to leave when Zhao Xiaodie suddenly cried out, “Stop! You don’t want others to know about your involvement with Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue, right?”
Zu An paused for a moment. He snapped with a frown, “I don’t know what you are talking about!”
How does this woman know?!
Zhao Xiaodie laughed and said, “Big brother Zu, actually, I really didn’t expect you to have such ability. Perhaps no man in this world could have imagined that you had this amount of skill, that you were actually able to carry those sworn enemies on either side. If news of this got out, who knows how many of their pursuers would want you dead?!”
Zu An turned around to look at her. He retorted, “Isn’t your imagination a bit too rich? I’m sure that Sect Master Yun and Yan would immediately take your life if they heard your slander.”
“Big brother Zu, stop pretending,” Zhao Xiaodie said. She walked up to him and gave him a sniff before continuing, “I forgot to tell you, but because of my familiarity with poison, I’m extremely familiar with all kinds of medicinal ingredients. That means my nose is especially sharp. I can remember the smell of every single person I come into contact with.
“You saved me in the secret dungeon. Even though you were wearing masks at the time, I could still smell your scent… cough!”
Zu An scowled and grabbed her by the neck, saying, “I should have just let Elder Blood Spirit kill you back then.”
When she felt the pressure on her neck becoming stronger and stronger, realizing that she would lose her life if he just used a bit more force, Zhao Xiaodie didn’t feel any fear. Instead, an unnatural blush appeared on her face as she said, “My life was saved by big brother Zu, so if you want to kill me, just do so. Either way, my father is already dead, so even if I continue living, it’ll be a life better off dead.”
Zu An frowned. He tossed her to the ground and said with a sneer, “If you want to talk about it, do what you want. Let’s see if they believe you or not.”
Whether it was Yan Xuehen or Yun Jianyue’s fans, he doubted many of them would believe her. After all, she had no proof backing her words.
Suddenly, Zhao Xiaodie laughed and said, “Big brother Zu, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have used them to threaten you. However, have you thought about the possibility of having both of them properly and righteously?”
Zu An already had half a door out of the doorstep, but he stopped when he heard that.
Zhao Xiaodie’s smile became even more dazzling. It seemed she had gambled correctly. Then, she said, “According to my understanding of you, Sect Master Yan seems to be the master of your previous wife, Chu Chuyan, right? Sect Master Yun’s disciple Qiu Honglei seems to have a special relationship with you too. Big brother Zu, you really are something. You even got both of their disciples.”
Zu An’s eye twitched. He said, “I’m leaving if you continue to speak rubbish.”
Zhao Xiaodie quickly dragged him back to the room. She personally poured a cup of tea for him and said, “Big brother Zu, don’t get angry. If my suspicions aren’t mistaken, whether it’s Yun Jianyue or Yan Xuehen, neither one of them wants to publicly announce their real relationship with you. Yan Xuehen in particular is known for being a leader of righteousness. She’s known to be an ice G.o.ddess who never feels anything for any man. If your relationship is exposed, she might not have the face to meet anyone again. That’s why she would never agree to revealing your relationship to the public. There’s even a chance that she might deliberately keep some distance from you. In the end, she might even just sever her feelings and never contact you again.”
Zu An became silent. Yun Jianyue was a bit more enthusiastic in nature, and she came from the Devil Sect too, so she didn’t have as much of a mental barrier. However, big sis Yan was a difficult matter. Her skin was a bit too thin and sensitive, and she had the entire White Jade Sect behind her. She did have too much to worry about.
“I can help you chase after both of them and let you have what you want,” Zhao Xiaodie said excitedly. Previously, her entire clan had been on the brink of destruction, and she had felt like she was already at the end of her rope, but she had suddenly found this information. Who wouldn’t like something so challenging and interesting?
“What kind of solution do you have?” Zu An reflexively asked.
Zhao Xiaodie shook her head and said, “Big brother Zu has to help us first.”
Zu An said seriously, “Fine!”
He had never planned to completely eradicate King Qi’s faction to begin with. After all, too many people he knew were on King Qi’s side. If King Qi’s rebellion were confirmed, the clans of those friends would be dragged in as well and things would become troublesome. That was why he had spoken the way he did to Bi Qi, King Yan and the others. It was just that he hadn’t told Zhao Xiaodie just now.
“Thank you, big brother Zu!” Zhao Xiaodie exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. She hugged him tightly.
Zu An pushed her away impatiently, saying, “Men and women should keep their distance.”
“Even I don’t mind, so what is big brother Zu making a big fuss for?” Zhao Xiaodie said; she seemed unfazed as she continued, “Either way, big brother Zu is helping me, so I’ll work like a horse or ox for you in this life.”
“I’m not a farmer; what would I need a horse or an ox for?” Zu An replied with a stiff expression.
“You can ride on them too, and all you need to do is feed them some gra.s.s,” Zhao Xiaodie said, licking her lips. There was actually a bit of an alluring look in her eyes.
Zu An was stunned.
This woman doesn’t seem like someone from the righteous faction at all! This is completely the Devil Sect witch’s style…
He chatted a bit more with Zhao Xiaodie and taught her how to deal with the following interrogations. Time pa.s.sed quickly, and soon after, someone came to escort Zhao Xiaodie away.
Zu An frowned. He used the pretext of preserving the dignity of the royal family to have her ride in a carriage alone. Then, he a.s.signed a maid to take care of her.
…
Just like that, their group left Violet Mountain in a majestic manner.
Not long after they left, however, a flash of light suddenly appeared on Golden Peak. Another rift opened, spitting a person out.