When Cheng Xiong and his men left, the crown princess turned around. Her vicious expression melted away, and a gentleness entered her dignified gaze. “Lord Eleven, are you all right?”

The sight of her reprimanding Cheng Xiong reappeared in his head. 

Now that’s what I call dashing!

He stared blankly for a moment when he saw her smiling gently at him. 

“Lord Eleven?” The crown princess blushed when she saw him staring at her like this, and she coughed lightly to nudge him.

It really was strange. Zu An had looked at her in a similar manner before, and she had found it annoying, and even scolded him for it. Yet when Lord Eleven did this, her heart immediately began to pound.

What is going on with me?

Zu An snapped out of his daze and said, “Thank you, crown princess, for helping me out of trouble. I am fine.”

The crown princess was clearly still worried. “I remember you mentioning at the hospital that your soul was wounded, and now, you’ve gone up against Cheng Xiong. Did your injuries flare up again?”

Zu An smiled. “Someone like Cheng Xiong isn’t strong enough to injure me.”

“As expected, Lord Eleven’s cultivation is profound! It really is admirable.” She took in his confident demeanor. 

This is what a real man should be like!

Zu An clasped his fist in respect. “This is all thanks to the grace of the crown princess. I wouldn’t have been able to recover so quickly without the medicine you gave me.”

The crown princess blushed. “I’m glad I was able to help.”

Afraid to meet his gaze again, she quickly said, “You saved both me and the crown prince, but we never had a chance to properly thank you. The crown prince was rather frightened by the ordeal and could not come personally, which is why he asked me to bring you some gifts in his stead. Please accept these humble gifts, Lord Eleven.”

A group of maids and eunuchs brought over plates of gold, silver, and precious gems. There was also a tray of expensive medicine.

This princess doesn’t have it easy. 

She was clearly furious at the crown prince, yet she did all she could to protect his image.

Zu An wasn’t at all pretentious. “Thank you for your blessings, crown prince and crown princess!”

He wasn’t as noble and virtuous as the leads in the television dramas he watched. Money was wonderful, and the more the better!

The crown princess was relieved when she saw him accept the gifts. She was worried that he would refuse her kindness, but now that he had graciously accepted her gifts, they were on friendly terms. Even though she was a noble crown princess, golden-token envoys enjoyed special status themselves. Obtaining his friendship was extremely beneficial for the crown prince’s future.

Yes, this was my purpose for coming here. Nothing else.

She continued to convince herself in the same vein, smiling at the man in front of her, and giving him a slight nod. Given who she was, it wasn’t appropriate for her to converse with any other man for long. She reluctantly took her leave after offering him these gifts.

Zu An stored the treasures into his Brilliant Glass Bead before scooting off as well.

Yun Jianyue, who was waiting for him to come in, stamped her feet in annoyance. “This rascal!”

Meanwhile, Zu An found a secluded place and quickly removed his Embroidered Envoy uniform. Then quickly rejoined the crown princess’ entourage.

The crown princess furrowed her brow at his sudden arrival. “Where did you go just now?”

Zu An gave an embarrassed laugh. “My stomach felt strange, so I had to relieve myself.”

The crown princess was rather unimpressed.

This guy is always going to the bathroom whenever I see him! Is there something wrong with him physically?

Also, why are you telling me those details? Disgusting.

Compared to Lord Eleven, who is as high as the clouds in the sky, this man truly is dirt on the ground.

She subconsciously took a step back, as though afraid he might somehow infect her with something if she stood any closer. “The crown prince is resting today, and the lesser tutor is also nursing his wounds. There is nothing else that needs attention in the palace. You’re dismissed for now.”

Zu An, who was afraid that he was juggling too many things at the moment, was overjoyed. “Thank you, crown princess!”

The crown princess waved her hand and left, her servants in tow, and a disdainful expression on her face.

Zu An quickly returned to his own residence. Yun Jianyue was currently lying on the silk ribbon, her figure swaying back and forth, as though she somehow enjoyed the feeling of lying on it.

She might fall off if she fell asleep, but relaxing on it during the day wasn’t an issue. 

Hmph, it feels quite nice up here. Once I get back, I’m going to have one of these set up there as well.

“Big sis sect master, you’re really elegant and refined! I was almost scared to death earlier on.” Zu An sat down, a wide grin on his face. He poured himself a cup of tea. All this running back and forth had left him rather exhausted.

 If only I could create a clone of myself, like the Monkey King.

As he sipped on his tea, admiring the amazing beauty before him, he slowly relaxed. 

Yun Jianyue snorted. “Your relationship with the crown princess seems rather good. With her there to protect you, nothing could have happened to you.”

She had offered her help, yet he had rejected her without hesitation, only to rely on another woman! 

Hmph! Do you think I have no pride?

“That’s because I saved her life before,” Zu An explained, “She’s merely returning the favor. There’s nothing else between us.”

When in front of a woman, it’s always better not to get into the details of your relationship with other women. All playboys know this doctrine by heart.

He had no idea that his reply would anger Yun Jianyue. She suddenly sat up, the thinness of the silk ribbon squeezing her bottom and making it look even more seductive. “It makes me angry just thinking about it! If not for you, we would’ve already killed the crown prince and princess, and successfully framed King Qi! We wouldn’t have had to face the emperor either! I wouldn't have been injured…” What began as a casual rant grew in force and anger as she continued her tirade.

You have successfully trolled Yun Jianyue for 555… 555… 555…

Zu An felt as though he had just poked a hornet’s nest. “I don’t really understand what you’re trying to do either,” he said quickly. “Right now, the struggle between King Qi and the crown prince is at a climax. Wouldn’t getting rid of the crown prince only help King Qi? No matter how furious the emperor is, he cannot eliminate King Qi immediately. Once he calmed down, he would have realized that there was something fishy about the entire matter.”

If King Qi ascended to the throne, he would become much more powerful than a dull crown prince could ever be, and the Devil Sect would find survival that much more difficult.

Yun Jianyue snorted. “You don’t have to worry about that. We have our own thoughts on the matter.”

Zu An frowned. “But His Majesty already knows your identity. Your attempts to frame King Qi have already failed!”

“Wasn’t it all because of you that my identity was exposed?” Yun Jianyue ground her teeth in anger. “So what if he knows my identity, though? Who said that the Holy Sect cannot seek refuge with King Qi?”

Zu An had a strange look on his face. Were all pretty girls two-faced? 

If that happens, King Qi will have a mountain of guilt to bear.

Feeling the resentment towards him building, Zu An quickly said, “I met Honglei when I left the palace earlier and told her everything. Also, I bought you this hammock.”

Yun Jianyue’s rage subsided considerably when she saw that he’d run her errands for her. She was also reminded that he had, after all, saved her life.  “Is Honglei doing fine?”

“She’s fine. She was just a little brokenhearted that her companions had been captured,” replied Zu An.

Yun Jianyue hesitated a little then said, “It seems you’re doing quite well for yourself in the palace. If there is a chance, help free the Holy Sect captives. If you cannot save them, it will be good if you could put a quick end to their suffering.”

Zu An rolled his eyes. “I don’t even know if I’ll make it out alive. What makes you think I can spare the time or energy to save anyone else?”

Yun Jianyue grew annoyed. “I’m telling you how to make the first move and gain the upper hand, but you’re just brushing it off.”

“What do you mean by ‘make the first move’? You make it sound so easy,” Zu An shot back, slightly upset.

Yun Jianyue sneered. “Fool, didn’t the emperor put you in charge of finding out who leaked out the information that he wasn’t in the palace? Why can’t you deal with Cheng Xiong, even with imperial authority on your side?”

Zu An’s face lit up. “Cheng Xiong gave you the information? Wait, that doesn’t seem right.”

He quickly rejected this thought. If Cheng Xiong was Yun Jianyue’s insider, she would never have told him in this manner.

Yun Jianyue wore a half-smile. She asked another question in return. “Do you think the emperor already suspected someone before he put you in charge of this investigation? And who could his prime suspect be?”