The Good Junior Master

The Crown Prince's Palace.

Luo Zhao sat upright behind a low table, holding a memorial in her hand, but her gaze was fixed on empty space, as if lost in thought.

The tea on the table had long gone cold, yet she seemed completely unaware, only occasionally lifting her eyes toward the direction of the palace gate.

She had been waiting for half an hour.

From the moment the inspection team arrived in the divine capital, news had flooded in endlessly.

The team disbanded, with experts from various ministries and noble houses returning to their own posts.

Gu Chengyong had not shown himself; he had left directly in the carriage of the Celestial Master Mansion.

All of this was within her expectations, and could even be said to have been orchestrated by her hand.

But Luo Zhao still wanted to hear it from Shangguan Yunying's own lips.

To hear about the Gu Chengyong she had seen with her own eyes, his reaction upon hearing the imperial edict, the way he had handled all of this.

Footsteps sounded outside the hall, light and hurried.

Luo Zhao withdrew her gaze, picked up her teacup, and took a sip of the cold tea.

Bitterness spread across her tongue, but her expression grew even calmer.

"Your Highness."

Shangguan Yunying strode quickly into the hall, stopped before the low table, and gave a respectful bow.

Luo Zhao set down the teacup and looked up.

Shangguan Yunying's face bore the dust of travel, but her eyes were clear and her breathing steady; she was clearly unharmed.

"Mm."

Luo Zhao said flatly, "Sit."

Shangguan Yunying acknowledged the order and took a seat by the table.

She thought for a moment, then began to recount her story.

From traveling to Luo Du, to meeting Gu Chengyong at Fan Lou, to everything that happened on the return journey.

She was thorough in her account, leaving nothing out that should be said.

As for what should not be said... she mentioned not a single word.

At the very least, she said nothing about Lin Qingyan's relationship with Gu Chengyong, her own rivalry with Lin Qingyan for favor, or the co-celebration.

Shangguan Yunying did not bring any of this up, as such matters would still be far too much of a shock for the current Luo Zhao.

Not to mention, the mere fact that Lin Qingyan regarded Gu Chengyong as her aunt's husband was something Luo Zhao could never accept.

After listening to Shangguan Yunying's full account, Luo Zhao frowned, her gaze sharpening.

"Yunying, are you telling me that Gu Chengyong chose to let Aunt escort him into the Celestial Master Mansion as a prisoner of the imperial court, preferring not to react at all?"

Shangguan Yunying nodded. "Yes, I was right there listening when Gu Chengyong said it."

Luo Zhao did not relax her frown.

She lowered her eyes in thought, her fingers tapping lightly on the table, one beat after another.

The sound was especially distinct in the silent hall, and it weighed on Shangguan Yunying's heart.

"That's not right."

Luo Zhao suddenly spoke, her voice laced with confusion.

Shangguan Yunying's heart tensed, but her expression remained unchanged.

Luo Zhao looked up at her, her gaze fixed directly on her.

"Why would Aunt listen to Gu Chengyong? Didn't you say their relationship was normal?"

Here it comes.

Shangguan Yunying breathed a silent sigh of relief, glad she had prepared for this in advance.

She had thought about this question and rehearsed it.

If Luo Zhao asked, how could she answer without revealing anything, yet still sound reasonable?

"It seems to be because of the Immortal Clan legacy."

Shangguan Yunying spoke without changing her expression, her tone as calm as if stating a fact.

"Gu Chengyong has forged a cooperation with Jingzhe, but he didn't tell me the specifics."

She paused, then added, "But during the journey, it was true that Jingzhe gave Gu Chengyong considerable assistance."

"But it wasn't an intimate relationship; it was more like they needed to maintain a common benefit."

Luo Zhao listened and nodded slightly.

The Immortal Clan legacy.

This explanation did make sense.

Lin Qingyan's breakthrough from the early to the middle stage of the Golden Core was no secret among the higher-ups in the divine capital.

Many had even found it strange—how could a Golden Core breakthrough be so difficult?

Lin Qingyan had been stuck in the early stage for years without any progress, so how had she suddenly broken through?

If it was due to Gu Chengyong's Immortal Clan legacy, then it was no longer strange.

A complete legacy meant a complete Immortal Path.

With Lin Qingyan's talent, it was entirely possible for her to use another's Immortal Path to perfect her own.

So cooperating with Gu Chengyong in exchange for a breakthrough opportunity was perfectly logical.

Seeing that Luo Zhao did not press further, Shangguan Yunying breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

What she had just said was half-truth and half-fiction.

The cooperation was real, and the breakthrough was because of Gu Chengyong.

But as for the specifics of that cooperation, only those involved would know.

For now, it was far from the right time to reveal the truth.

If she were to tell Luo Zhao now about Lin Qingyan’s real relationship with Gu Chengyong, or even that they had already... Shangguan Yunying dared not imagine what would happen.

Her Highness appeared calm and restrained on the surface, but deep down she was more stubborn than anyone.

She could endure, she could wait, and she could suppress her emotions for the greater good—but that endurance had its limits.

Once that limit was broken, the hypnosis, the forbearance, the greater importance of the overall situation—all of it would be cast aside.

At that point, Luo Zhao would surely rush to fight Gu Chengyong to the death.

And Gu Chengyong would not just sit back and wait for it. If it came to that, his only choice would be to flee to some place no one could find and disappear completely.

If that happened, then Shangguan Yunying would have nothing left.

So this secret had to be hidden, for as long as possible.

Until the most opportune moment to reveal it.

Shangguan Yunying lowered her eyelids, completely concealing the emotions in her eyes.

The hall fell silent, broken only by the occasional crackle of the lamp flames.

Luo Zhao was still lost in thought, tapping her fingers lightly on the table.

Her brows furrowed and then relaxed, as if she were weighing something.

Shangguan Yunying watched her profile, hesitated for a moment, and then took the initiative to ask.

"Your Highness, it is clear Gu Chengyong is waiting for the new imperial edict before making a move."

"What should we do?"

Luo Zhao did not answer immediately.

She lifted her eyes, her gaze passing over the flickering lamplight to settle on some empty space.

There was nothing there, only the shadows cast by the pillars.

But as she looked, it was as if she could see farther, to the depths of the Celestial Master Mansion, to the Jingxin Tower within, and to the person inside it.

Respond without reacting?

Luo Zhao suddenly smiled.

There was a hint of coldness in that smile, and also a hard-to-define edge.

"Gu Chengyong, oh Gu Chengyong, you truly are my good Grand Tutor."

Luo Zhao's voice was quiet, but it sent a chill through Shangguan Yunying's heart.

Shangguan Yunying blinked and looked at the young crown prince before her.

The lamp cast alternating light and shadow on her face, lending an air of inscrutability to those refined features.

"Yunying, let me ask you."

Luo Zhao suddenly turned to Shangguan Yunying, her gaze sharp as a blade.

"On the way back, did Gu Chengyong's cultivation level decrease?"

Shangguan Yunying was taken aback, then began to think carefully.

All the way back, Gu Chengyong had never once used his abilities.

Whenever something came up, it was basically Chen Busha who handled it.

Still, because she had been taught a lesson over and over again, she had had the chance to closely observe Gu Chengyong's cultivation level.

As for whether it had decreased...