Juzi felt relieved when she saw that Wang Chen didn't tell her to get out.
The first step is always the hardest—since she had succeeded in taking it, she only needed to find an opportunity to speak with Wang Chen, and that would already be half the victory.
Juzi lowered her head, holding a bottle of medicine that emitted a faint fragrance. Carefully, she followed the other maids to prepare the medicinal bath.
They poured various extracts of rare medicinal herbs into the soul-guided bathtub, and at once steam began to rise, filling the room with a rich medicinal aroma.
When Wang Chen saw that the bath was ready, he immediately stood up, took off his outer garments, and stepped into the tub.
The warm water and medicinal essence enveloped his body, bringing a wave of comfort. He closed his eyes, absorbing the medicinal power while deep in thought.
Juzi and several other maids began massaging Wang Chen, easing his fatigue.
When Juzi's delicate hand brushed against Wang Chen's arm, he opened his eyes in slight surprise.
Inwardly, Wang Chen thought, "This maid's hands are even softer than Ye Guyi's."
However, he didn't think much of it. He didn't associate the tender-skinned maid before him with Juzi from the original novel.
After all, the original work was just words on a page—he had no concrete image in his mind of what she truly looked like.
Moreover, Juzi had disguised her appearance through makeup, and because of the butterfly effect, her life path had changed drastically from the original story.
So Wang Chen was merely surprised by how smooth her skin was. Then he closed his eyes again, continuing to absorb the medicinal energy and ponder tomorrow's royal audience.
As time passed, Wang Chen gradually absorbed all of the medicinal power from the bath. The once-turbid liquid turned into clear water.
Feeling refreshed, Wang Chen rose from the soul-guided bathtub, gave a light shake of his soul power, instantly drying the water droplets from his body, then changed into his nightclothes and prepared to rest.
The maids finished their work, bowed respectfully to Wang Chen, and left one by one.
However, when the other maids stepped out, they noticed that Juzi—who had followed them in earlier—had stayed behind instead of leaving with them.
The head maid snorted, "That Zhang Ju really has some tricks up her sleeve. Does she think she can seduce the master? What a delusional fantasy."
Another maid mocked, "Exactly! She thinks someone like her could ever be worthy of him? She should look in the mirror before dreaming so high."
"Forget it. We already reported everything properly. If Lord Wang reprimands her, it has nothing to do with us."
The maids chattered as they left, returning to their quarters.
Meanwhile, inside Wang Chen's room—
As Wang Chen was about to go to bed, he noticed that one maid hadn't left. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Instantly, he regarded Juzi as a scheming woman trying to curry favor through seduction—a fool without self-awareness.
As Wang Chen's expression grew cold, an invisible pressure filled the entire room. The overwhelming aura made Juzi's heart tremble. She nearly fell to her knees.
But Juzi knew this was her only chance. Gritting her teeth, she bit the tip of her tongue to steady herself and forced her fear down.
Bowing deeply, she said,
"My lord, I once served in Crown Prince Xu Tiannan's residence. From his mouth, I learned of certain taboos that His Majesty holds. Just now, I heard that you will have an audience with His Majesty tomorrow…
Therefore, there are a few things I wish to remind you of."
Wang Chen had originally intended to throw the unruly maid out immediately, but upon hearing this, his interest was piqued.
He restrained his aura and said calmly, "Oh? Let's hear it."
Wang Chen was not an arrogant man who ignored advice. He was well aware that although he possessed talent, the true reason for his current strength came from the Black Book within his soul and his unyielding hard work.
Thus, he decided to listen to what this maid had to say—it wouldn't take long anyway.
If her words proved true, he wouldn't hesitate to reward her.
If she dared to deceive him, however, he was not a man known for patience.
Seeing Wang Chen interested, Juzi immediately said,
"His Majesty Xu Jing despises three things above all else.
The first is anyone who disobeys his orders. No matter who it is, the consequences are always miserable.
Back then, Prince Blood Dragon was exiled from the center of power in Mingdu simply for defying His Majesty's command. Even his titles as Head of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy and Dean of Mingde Hall were stripped and given to Grand Duke Hongchen.
The second thing he detests is being deceived…
And the third is when people try to guess or speculate about his thoughts.
Aside from these three, His Majesty favors those who are capable yet easy to control. He dislikes those who are talented but prideful…"
Juzi's small mouth spoke rapidly, delivering hundreds of words in one breath, even citing specific incidents.
Clearly, she wasn't bluffing—she truly knew what she was talking about.
After explaining the Emperor's taboos, Juzi added,
"My lord, when you have your audience tomorrow, you must avoid touching upon these taboos.
It's best to appear simple and easy to control. Only then will His Majesty feel reassured. Otherwise, if he deems you difficult to handle, the future may hold unpredictable fortune or disaster."
Wang Chen gazed at Juzi with interest. "These details aren't something an ordinary maid would know."
Juzi, realizing she had gained his attention, wiped the makeup from her face, revealing her stunningly beautiful features.
To gain Wang Chen's trust, Juzi stopped pretending—she laid all her cards on the table.
She said, "My lord, my real name isn't Zhang Ju—it's Juzi. I used to serve as Crown Prince Xu Tiannan's confidant. Later, someone spread a rumor that the Crown Prince had become impotent…
To save myself, I fled the Crown Prince's mansion. In order to escape his pursuit, I concealed my identity and came to the Wang Family."
Upon hearing her words, Wang Chen felt a bit awkward.
So it turns out the rumor I started back then ended up causing Juzi to take the blame. Xu Tiannan must have assumed she was the one who leaked the information about his impotence.
Wang Chen asked, "Juzi, your information is useful. Tell me, what do you want in return?"
Juzi's heart leapt with excitement. She had seized her chance!
But she knew she couldn't ask for rewards now—doing so would waste the favor she had just earned. What she needed was to secure her position by Wang Chen's side.
Dropping to one knee, Juzi said solemnly,
"Juzi seeks no reward. I only wish to follow you, my lord—to climb to the pinnacle of the world by your side."
Wang Chen looked at her with admiration and smiled.
"Rise. From now on, you are mine."
"Thank you, my lord."
Juzi clenched her small fists, her lips quick to adapt—switching from "my lord" to "my master." Her cleverness was no less than that of a seasoned court fox.
Afterward, Wang Chen and Juzi discussed many details regarding the next day's audience with the Emperor, refining every precaution.
When Juzi finally left Wang Chen's room, she was in such a cheerful mood that she hummed a tune, her steps light and lively—only to bump into Ye Guyi.
Seeing Juzi's stunning face now free of makeup, Ye Guyi immediately grew wary, and a wave of jealousy surged in her heart.
Who is this woman? She just came out of Wang Chen's room… Was she trying to seduce him? Damn it, another rival!
Ye Guyi glared sharply and demanded, "Who are you? What were you doing in Wang Chen's room just now?"
Juzi curved her lips into a faint smile. "I am Lord Wang Chen's follower. Miss Ye Guyi, though you are his guest, you are not the mistress of this house. You have no right to question my actions."
Ye Guyi's face turned red with anger. "You—you!!"
Juzi continued, "Miss Ye Guyi, I do not harbor any romantic interest in my lord, nor do I intend to compete with you. There's no need for hostility."
Ye Guyi felt stifled. Against Juzi's calm composure, she found herself completely tongue-tied.
Clenching her fists, Ye Guyi said, "You expect me to believe that? It's the middle of the night—alone in his room, just the two of you?"
Seeing Ye Guyi's fists tighten, Juzi's heart skipped a beat. She was a Food-type Soul Master, not skilled in combat. If Ye Guyi attacked, she wouldn't be able to resist.
Quickly, she said,
"I belong to my lord. The only person with the right to punish or discipline me is Lord Wang Chen himself."
Then Juzi smiled slightly.
"Of course, if Miss Ye Guyi wishes to vent her anger, you may strike me—as long as you're not afraid of displeasing Lord Wang Chen."
Ye Guyi burned with fury but didn't dare touch her, afraid of upsetting Wang Chen. She could only grit her teeth and hold back.
Seeing this, Juzi realized Ye Guyi was just a paper tiger who didn't dare act. Calmly, she said,
"If you have nothing else, Miss Ye Guyi, then I'll be taking my leave."
With that, she gracefully walked past Ye Guyi and left.
Ye Guyi stared at Juzi's back, fuming.
Inside her mind, the Black Angel raged,
"This maid is so hateful! So arrogant! And she dares to flirt with Wang Chen! Once you become his wife, you must drive her out of the Wang Family!"
The White Angel flapped her little wings weakly and said,
"That's too cruel… maybe just have her pour tea and wash your feet instead."
Black Angel: "Ha! Shrimp-heart pig-mind—you're even more ruthless than I am!"
Ye Guyi clenched her small fists, pouting angrily.
"When I'm with Wang Chen and become the mistress of this house, I'll make her copy her own words ten thousand times! Then I'll have Wang Chen hand her over to me as my personal maid—to pour tea, wash clothes, and massage my feet! Hmph!"
Meanwhile—
At the former Wang Family estate—
Zhongli Wu stood amid the ruins, his face dark. After searching the area and finding it completely deserted, not a single member of the Wang Family remained.
With a flash, Zhongli Wu seized a nearby passerby, ripped out his soul, and began questioning him.
After some interrogation, he learned that all members of the Wang Family had relocated to the noble district at the heart of Mingdu.
Zhongli Wu's face grew uglier by the second.
If the Wang Family had stayed on the outskirts, he could still risk assassinating Wang Chen—but within the top-tier aristocratic district, that was impossible.
That area was filled with detection-type soul tools so advanced that even an Ultimate Douluo couldn't hide. The only way in was by force—and that would immediately trigger the alarm, drawing countless experts, entire Soul Engineer legions, and even the Royal Worship Hall.
It was far too dangerous.
After some thought, Zhongli Wu decided to abandon his current plan.
With Wang Chen now residing in the very heart of the Sun Moon Empire, assassination was no longer feasible. Rather than acting alone, it was better to return to the Holy Spirit Cult, consult his mother and Uncle Long, and plan the next move.
——
Time passed quickly, and soon it was noon the next day.
Inside the imperial palace's Imperial Garden,
Emperor Xu Jing sat leisurely on his dragon throne, holding a book in his hands. The pages detailed Wang Chen's life—from his birth to the present—including not only his background, but also the full dossier of the Wang Family.
Behind him, a beautiful young girl walked up, her voice as clear and melodious as a lark.
"Father, Father, I'm still so young—I don't want to get engaged or married so soon!"
Xu Jing couldn't help but chuckle.
Wang Chen is an unprecedented genius. If you weren't my precious daughter, even if you wanted to marry him, he might not even look your way.
Just as Xu Tianzhen puffed up her cheeks, pouting adorably while acting spoiled toward her father—
The eunuch's clear voice rang out, "Lord Wang Chen has arrived!"
Xu Tianzhen snapped her head up and saw a man walking toward them—a flawless figure, with perfect features, tall and broad-shouldered, long-legged, elegant like a jade statue.
Xu Tianzhen's mouth dropped open in astonishment.
Wait—my blind date is THIS handsome?
I take back everything I said earlier about not wanting to marry! Father, you're the best! Hehe~
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