Bi Linglong’s eyelashes gently flickered. She replied, “Have you not been disgraceful enough?”
The things this guy had done to her body alone were enough to have his clan executed many times over!
When he saw her pout playfully, Zu An couldn't help but lower his head to kiss her again. Their lips only separated after a long time.
“Ah, my lip gloss was all messed up! I have to fix it first, or else others might see it!” Bi Linglong exclaimed. She took out a red rouge sheet and put it in her mouth. She faced the mirror and gently pursed her lips.
Zu An stood behind her and helped her sort out her messy hair. Then, he began to tell her what had happened at Violet Mountain and in the secret dungeon. The two faced had Zhao Han’s split soul together back in the crown prince’s trial, so there was no need to hide such things from her.
“Uncle King Qi really did invest heavily into this,” Bi Linglong said. She released a deep sigh when she learned that King Qi had set up such a huge trap. The crown prince and King Qi’s faction had fought viciously for many years already, but even though they were enemies, they respected each other.
“It was still Zhao Han who was the most treacherous. Who would have thought that he had already taken care of everything a long time ago, so all of King Qi’s cultivation was only to benefit him?” Zu An remarked with a sigh. If not because everything had lined up perfectly, he likely wouldn't have been able to win against Zhao Han’s scheming.
“That’s right. According to what I know, that concubine of King Qi’s seemed to be Zhao Han’s spy,” Bi Linglong said with lingering fear. Zhao Han’s schemes ran so deep that just thinking about it made her shiver in fear. Fortunately, that terrifying individual was already dead.
Zu An’s expression was a bit strange. Wasn’t King Qi’s concubine none other than Lady Nan Xun? Not only was she Zhao Han’s spy, she was also the Fiend races’ spy. She had even ended up running over to the brothels to play around as a courtesan. That woman’s relationship with him was even quite good to boot.
…
Bi Linglong didn’t know what he was thinking and said happily, “If not for the fact that the libationer planned far ahead to seal and banish Zhao Han, everything would have been over.” From what Zu An said, the emperor had already suspected the death of his split soul. If he had defeated all of his other enemies, she and Zu An would definitely have suffered the consequences. She continued, “There were also the daoists, buddhists, and shamans. They actually bore so much resentment toward the court. Fortunately, they suffered severe casualties this time.”
Zu An sighed inwardly when he heard her joy. She had always been in charge of the Eastern Palace’s political affairs, and she was also the future empress, so of course she looked at things from the court’s perspective. The daoists’ actions were nothing more than disgraceful and rebellious to the court, making them a party that needed to be forcefully suppressed. Who would he help if she and Yan Xuehen got into a conflict one day?
Bi Linglong suddenly said with a sigh, “The emperor, libationer, and King Qi have all already died. Things are a bit dangerous now for the human race.”
The three of them had always been the human race’s most powerful beings. Now that they had been wiped out in one go, if another enemy appeared, there was no way that side would let go of such a good opportunity.
“The Royal Academy’s people might have their own plans. Without their research and support, the civil officials and the military will have problems," Bi Linglong continued.
“Don’t worry. You still have me,” Zu An said as he reached out his hand and stroked her soft hair. “The libationer appointed me as his successor before he pa.s.sed on.”
“You're the new libationer?” Bi Linglong asked, now truly stunned. In the eyes of most people, the libationer was supposed to be a bearded grandpa with prestige and virtue. Why did it seem so weird for a handsome youngster like him to become the next libationer?
“Can I not be the next libationer?” Zu An replied, waving the ring that represented the status of libationer in front of her eyes.
Bi Linglong now believed him. She couldn't help but say with a sigh, “I guess it makes sense. You can even become the Fiend Races’ regent, so what's the big deal with becoming a libationer?”
After so much time had pa.s.sed, news of him being the Regent had already spread throughout the capital. That really had thrown the entire capital into an uproar.
p>
Zu An gently held her cheek and said, “I wasn’t trying to hide this from you; it was just that the matter was too important. I didn’t know how to explain it either.”
“Don’t worry, you being the Regent of the Fiend races will only be beneficial for me. There's nothing bad about it,” Bi Linglong said. She held his hand and pressed her face against it. “But I am really curious... What kind of relationship do you have with the Fiend races’ Second Empress?”
“What kind of a relationship could it be? We're just collaborators who had mutual interests,” Zu An said. He naturally wouldn’t be so stupid as to tell a woman about his intimate relations with another woman.
“Is that really all? I almost thought that you'd obtained the t.i.tle of Regent by sleeping with that Second Empress,” Bi Linglong said, looking up with a teasing smile on her face.
Zu An’s expression darkened and he replied, “Am I that kind of person?”
Save me! How are these women's sixth senses so accurate?
“Of course! On this side, didn’t you do that to me…” Bi Linglong trailed off, her face turning red midway through her sentence. She was too embarra.s.sed to continue.
“Do what to you?” Zu An asked, leaning his head on her shoulder. The two’s cheeks pressed up against each other just like that. He really felt refreshed and comfortable as he breathed in her sweet fragrance.
“Nothing.” Bi Linglong harrumphed and changed the topic. “Since you're the Fiend races’ Regent and also the libationer, those two statuses are like timely rain for the Eastern Palace’s desert.”
“Is the situation already that bad?” Zu An asked gravely.
“That’s right. The Liu clan and Meng clan were related by marriage to begin with. They used this chance to work together, and pushed my father and others aside. Over the past few months, they've already gotten the capital under control. My government decrees can't even leave the Eastern Palace anymore," Bi Linglong said. A hint of puzzlement flashed through her eyes as she said, “I just can't figure out how the empress was able to silently recover despite being so wounded that she lived as a cripple for so many years. Her cultivation even made further progress…”
Zu An was a bit guilty. He couldn't tell her that it was all the fruit of his efforts, right?
Sigh, this really is a huge headache. Bi Linglong’s conflict with Yan Xuehen and the others hasn’t even started, and yet her conflict with Liu Ning is already happening.
He changed the topic and asked, “Is it possible that my status as the Fiend races’ Regent might be used as leverage for the Liu clan to target the Eastern Palace?”
Bi Linglong shook her head. She said, “There's no need to worry about that. If this were before his majesty had died, that status would be a huge issue. But now that he's pa.s.sed on, all the different powers are starting to stir. Who would dare to offend a powerful enemy like the Fiend races? Besides, you now have the status of the libationer, so you have the academy backing you. There’s practically no one who would dare to touch you now.”
Zu An sighed in relief. Even though he wasn’t scared, the fewer issues he had, the better.
“Once we've officially confirmed the news of Zhao Han’s death, the crown prince will ascend to the throne. At that time, you'll become the new empress and have natural ruling rights. No matter how powerful the Liu clan is, they can only do so much,” Zu An said. He really didn’t want the two sides to become completely hostile.
“Things aren't that simple,” Bi Linglong said, her expression grave. “The crown prince’s slowness is something everyone knows. Recently, there have been suggestions of switching the crown prince. Even though they were quickly suppressed, that seed has already been planted. Someone is clearly inciting this behind the scenes.”
“Do you think it was the Liu clan that incited them?” Zu An asked in shock. Liu Ning’s side really was vicious! They were completely intent on driving the Bi clan to despair!
“Of course,” Bi Linglong said with a sneer. “Apart from the empress’ instigation, the other princes also have their own thoughts. After all, who doesn’t want to become the emperor?
“The crown prince is clearly slow-witted, so why didn’t the emperor ever change the crown prince? Apart from the fact that he concealed part of his soul inside the crown prince, he also needed the status of his direct descendant to convince those who supported King Qi. After all, Zhao Han relied on the status of eldest son to wrest the imperial throne from King Qi to begin with. That was why, even though the other princes have always been smarter than Zhao Ruizhi, they've never even been considered. But now that King Qi, the greatest threat, is gone, the biggest reason not to change the crown prince is also gone. Those princes have naturally started to covet the throne.”
“For the empress, whether it's the crown prince or the other princesses, neither of them are her own children. That's why it won't have much effect on her regardless of who rises. Except, if Zhao Ruizhi takes the throne, with the prestige the Eastern Palace has acc.u.mulated over the years and my Bi clan’s a.s.sistance, it will be very hard for the Liu clan to dominate the capital. But if they could successfully change the crown prince, the Liu clan would have tremendous contributions to the new regime. The new crown prince would be full of grat.i.tude toward her, so they'd happily become her puppet.”
Zu An hadn’t expected the threat of switching the crown prince. He asked, “Then who are they supporting exactly?”
Bi Linglong reached out her slender fingers and counted, “Zhao Han actually fathered many princes. But if we look at their background and influence, there are only five who have a chance of becoming the crown prince. King Wu, Zhao Yan; King Ying, Zhao Ming; King Shu, Zhao Hui; King Dai, Zhao Ping; and King Chang, Zhao Feng.”
Zu An’s heart rate sped up a bit when he heard 'King Wu'. He recalled the charming Madam Wu, Yun Yuqing. He had to admit that she really was a woman among women… He coughed lightly and collected his thoughts. He said, “From what I know, Madam Dai seems to be Central Secretariat Supervisor Meng Yi’s daughter. Since the Meng clan and Yang clan are in an alliance, doesn’t that mean King Dai is the most likely candidate?” He'd had some contact with those princes earlier. He had to admit that in terms of both their appearance and intelligence, they easily beat Zhao Ruizhi.
Bi Linglong shook her head and said, “That might not be the case. That's precisely why the Liu clan might not want to side with him. After all, if he became the emperor, King Dai would definitely support the Meng clan more, while the Liu clan would have done all that heavy lifting for someone else.”
Zu An frowned. Then that meant the other four were more likely. But it was hard to come to a conclusion without more information. He was too annoyed right now to think about such things, so he said, “Linglong, I feel like not becoming the crown princess might not be anything bad. You can just leave Zhao Ruizhi and we can stay together happily.”
“Stay together happily?” Bi Linglong replied gloomily. “Am I really the only one at your side?”
Zu An was immediately struck speechless.
Bi Linglong said coldly, “Besides, I’ve already fought for so many years. I’ve even sacrificed a lifetime of happiness to reach this stage. If you want me to just give up now, I'm not willing to do so! Furthermore, I'm not alone. I still have my entire clan, so there's no way I can let my entire clan fall to the brink of collapse because of my selfish interests.”
Zu An was speechless. How could he be so heartless as to make her give up her lifetime’s ambition? Whether it was Chuyan, Manman, or Honglei, they all had their own paths and pursuits. He had never stopped them before. So how could he stop Bi Linglong? Still, he didn’t really want to wade in these muddy waters. Whoever wanted to become the emperor could become the emperor. As long as it didn’t affect his own cultivation and freedom, that was enough.
As if sensing the awkwardness in the mood, Bi Linglong changed the topic. She asked, “Who were you with before you entered the palace? There's still the smell of other women on you.”
Zu An was speechless. It really was awkward… He had actually forgotten about that.
What a piece of trash I am…
He could only tell her about his return with Xie Daoyun. At the same time, he mentioned the a.s.sa.s.sins he had encountered.
Bi Linglong’s expression suddenly darkened. She asked, “Are you suspecting me to be the one who sent those a.s.sa.s.sins?”