Bi Linglong replied, “The Director of the Imperial Secretariat Pei Ming has two sons, Pei Zuo and Pei You. The one who they sent was Pei You. He’s always been sharp, and he’s also a well-known figure among the Pei clan’s younger generation.”

Zu An thought to himself, The ones who are coming aren't the best after all. Looks like the crown prince’s faction did think this through. He thought that it might have been Big Manman, but it seemed he might have been overthinking it.

“What is it? You seem to be a bit disappointed,” Bi Linglong asked out of curiosity.

“It’s nothing.” Zu An obviously wouldn’t be so stupid as to mention another woman in front of the girl in front of him. “Right, are you guys close to the Pei clan?” he asked. Why did he seem to recall Pei Mianman saying that their clan was part of King Qi’s faction?

Bi Linglong shook her head. “It’ll take a while to explain our relationship. To put it simply, the Pei clan is split into two parties. The first belongs to the Waterfront Duke, Chief Attendant Pei Zheng. He has many children and they’re connected to King Liang, the Liu clan, the Jiang clan, and other powers in marriage. They appear to not be under anyone’s faction, but I know that he supports King Qi more.”

Zu An nodded. That seemed to be the party Big Manman had been talking about.

Bi Linglong continued, “As for Pei You, he comes from the Greatdeer Duke, Director of the Imperial Secretariat Pei Ming. Because he’s also a member of the Imperial Secretariat, he doesn’t really get along with my father…”

Zu An was surprised. “Why would you let his grandson participate in this exam if they don’t get along?”

Bi Linglong explained, “Perhaps it’s because you don’t understand our clans’ unwritten rules. A clan isn’t necessarily all stuck together. There are bound to be different opinions. Even though Pei Ming doesn’t get along with my father, his second son Pei You is close friends with my older brother. Furthermore, Pei Ming’s wife is extremely close to my sister. With these relationships, that’s why we obviously wouldn’t refuse Pei You’s participation.”

Zu An sighed. These clans were all joined in marriage, so even clans that were part of different factions could remain close. He smiled and said, “If Pei You’s grandmother and your mother are close, shouldn’t he call you auntie?”

Bi Linglong blushed. “That’s only if you look at family seniority. In terms of age, we’re about the same.”

Zu An was about to tease her a bit when he suddenly thought of a problem. Pei Zheng and Pei Ming are clan brothers, while Big Manman is Pei Zheng’s granddaughter. Doesn’t this mean that Big Manman needs to call Bi Linglong auntie as well? Then isn’t she also my aunt…

Zu An’s smile froze on his face when he realized that. Pah! I’ll just mind my own business. This stuff has nothing to do with me.

Bi Linglong said, “Because of the existence of the Pei clan’s other faction, I suspect that Pei You approached my brother precisely for infiltration purposes. That’s why I have no choice but to be on guard against their people. This time, our attention will mainly be focused on Pei You in preparation for any sinister plots.”

“Alright.” Zu An nodded. This woman was rational, not letting friendship cloud her judgment. She was a natural politician.

Bi Linglong continued, “Apart from him, the Liu clan sent in Liu Xian. He’s General Liu Yao’s second son, a hedonistic child. He’s only barely reached the fifth rank despite being well into his thirties. It really is embarrassing.”

Zu An was stunned. “The crown prince’s exam is extremely important. Why would you bring in a straw bag idiot like him?”

To be honest, the fifth rank wasn’t low at all. In some rural areas, five ranks already represented an incredible existence. But this was the capital where geniuses were everywhere. That was why he paled in comparison.

Most importantly, he was already in his thirties. The fifth rank students of Brightmoon City were geniuses, and they were only in their teens. A fifth rank in their thirties, furthermore one that had reached that level due to endless resources, really could be called a good-for-nothing straw bag.

Bi Linglong said with a bitter smile, “There’s nothing we can do. This exam is too important, so the different clans are all sending some of their children to make it look as if they care. After all, in the eyes of most people, this exam will probably be filled with dangers. If they could somehow overcome this trial with the crown prince and complete this mission, that would be a tremendous contribution. Everyone has their own goals, and as their ally, I have to pay attention to the interests of all of these clans. I can’t refuse his addition.

“But the Liu clan understands the importance of this trial. Apart from sending in Liu Xian, this spoiled young master, they also sent in his sister’s outstanding son. He’s much more capable. He’s roughly the same age as Liu Xian, but he’s already reached the peak of the sixth rank. Furthermore, his steadfast nature is reassuring.”

Zu An smiled and remarked, “Looks like the Liu clan aren’t all idiots.”

Honestly speaking, even that old fart Liu Yao was quite mediocre, so it wasn’t surprising that he had produced a son like that. Zu An thought, Out of everyone in the Liu clan that I’ve met so far, it’s still the empress who’s the most formidable, both on and off the bed…

Bi Linglong rolled her eyes. “It’s fine if you say that in front of me, but don’t think you’ll be able to get away unscathed if the empress or other important ministers hear you.”

Zu An smiled and replied, “I’m only saying this in front of you because you’re no stranger.”

Bi Linglong blushed. Was this fellow using this chance to take advantage of her? She instinctively wanted to criticize him, but she was also worried that she would end up hurting his feelings. She still had to rely on him for the upcoming examination.

Furthermore, after she thought about it, those words didn’t seem to be too disrespectful either, so she just let it go. She changed the topic and said, “By the way, the Meng clan sent their second young master Meng Pan. This person is a bit more formidable than Liu Xian and has already reached the sixth rank.”

After having spent so long in the capital already, Zu An knew about the Meng clan. The Meng clan’s elder was one of the empire’s eight dukes, Minister of Works Meng Jing. However, he was already old, so the acting clan leader was actually his son Meng Yi. Meng Yi was the Central Secretariat Supervisor and had many sons. Furthermore, his youngest daughter was a king’s wife.

“King Liang Manor’s forces will be led by King Liang’s son Zhao Xi. Zhao Xi is also a talented individual,” Bi Linglong continued.

She then explained, “The Bi clan will be led by my older brother’s trusted aides, Gu Heng and Gu Xing. These two are from the Bi clan’s branch, the Gu clan. They studied and grew up together with the Bi clan’s children, so they’re part of our core forces. These two brothers are hardworking and diligent, and their aptitudes aren’t bad. They’ve both broken through to the sixth rank.”

Zu An had a weird look on his face as he asked, “Oh? Childhood sweethearts?”

Bi Linglong quickly replied, “Don’t think such random things. They’re only like family to us.” She was stunned even as she replied. Why am I explaining this to him?

She was worried that he might pick up on something and quickly said, “And as for you, I’ve already added you to the list through my father’s connections. Even though your cultivation has surpassed the seventh rank, it doesn’t go too far above, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Rest up well today; we’re entering the secret dungeon together tomorrow.”

Zu An smiled. He thought to himself, This lass is still using her own clan’s power and has no idea that the emperor already put everything together. However, he didn’t say anything and only replied in the affirmative.

…

The next morning, Bi Linglong woke up early and got dressed. Since today was an important day, she hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before. Fortunately, she was a cultivator, so it didn’t affect her too much.

Her maid Rong Mo, who was helping her with her hair, sighed from time to time. “Your highness, you should sleep a bit more if you didn’t sleep well. Why are you getting up so early, and moreover putting on your makeup so carefully? You weren’t even this meticulous when you were getting married back then.”

“What does a brat like you know?” Bi Linglong blushed. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked even more beautiful than usual, leaving even herself shocked. Why was she doing this? Was it because she was going to meet that person? Her heart rate quickened. She quickly explained, “This matter is related to the crown prince’s prospects, so of course I need to appear at my best. Not only is this war against King Qi’s faction, it will also inspire our own men.”

Rong Mo smiled and said, “Your highness is so pretty, those men will definitely fall over themselves for your favor.”

Bi Linglong harrumphed. “How can you say nonsense like that?”

“The crown prince isn’t here anyway.” Rong Mo didn’t seem bothered. “Honestly, recently, your highness’ mental state has become much better than before.”

“Really?” Bi Linglong was stunned. She hadn’t even noticed that herself.

“Of course.” Rong Mo chattered continuously. “Your highness was always shrouded in worry whenever you woke up in the past, but now, there’s even an uncontrollable smile between your brows.”

“Nonsense! How could I have changed that much?” Bi Linglong was startled and immediately criticized her. Then, she looked at the stunning woman in the mirror. She reached out her hand to gently caress her own face. Could it be… because of him?