Chapter 1706: Execution

The two quietly embraced as the setting sun streamed in from outside, casting long, elongated shadows of them.

Looking at their intertwined shadows on the ground, Yan Xuehen felt a moment of daze. What was she even thinking?

Just as she was about to gather her strength and push him away, Zu'an suddenly lowered his head and lightly kissed her on the lips.

Yan Xuehen's eyes widened instantly, whether from shyness or anger, as a wave of redness visibly rose from her neck.

Just before she could erupt, Zu'an had already released her, waving with a smile. "With a loving kiss from Sister Yan, this journey is sure to be smooth sailing!"

After speaking, he gave her no chance to retort, quickly disappearing into the distance.

Looking at his hasty retreat, Yan Xuehen’s frosty face suddenly cracked a smile. "He's such a rogue," she murmured.

Meanwhile, Zu'an was in high spirits after what had just happened. He moved so fast it was as if he had wind beneath his feet, making swift progress.

After traveling for several days, he finally encountered the Emperor's entourage near a small city.

The Emperor's journey for the Fengshan sacrifice was truly grand; the procession stretched for dozens of miles, comprising at least tens of thousands of people.

Zu'an did not rashly reveal himself. He spotted several familiar figures among the vanguard and quietly sought them out when they set up camp.

Qin Guangyuan, with his thick brows and large eyes, and Qin Yongde, with his delicate features, seemed to be in charge of vanguard security in the army. Even the Eldest Miss of the Murong family was there, dressed in military attire; with her wheat-colored skin, she truly looked valiant and spirited.

The group was enthusiastically discussing matters of marching and deployment when they were startled to see Zu'an arrive.

However, after a long separation, and especially since they were all related by blood or marriage, they quickly grew happy. Murong Qinghe, in particular, was exceptionally pleased to see him, perhaps her affection for Chu Youzhao extending to Zu'an. Her only regret was that Chu Youzhao had not come along this time.

Zu'an naturally knew the reason: Chu Youzhao was, after all, a woman disguised as a man. In the capital, with the Qin family's cover, she could maintain the disguise, but on a long military campaign, it would be difficult to conceal her true identity as a woman.

After some conversation, Zu'an generally learned from them just how massive the Emperor's Fengshan entourage was this time.

Except for the Empress, who was recuperating from illness, almost all other top figures from the capital were accompanying the Emperor, and they were all familiar faces.

Prince Qi, Zhao Jing, was accompanying, but his heir, Zhao Zhi, did not come along, presumably fearing a complete eradication of their line.

Grand Chancellor Pei Ming was among them, who, incidentally, was Grand Manman's paternal grand-uncle.

Also present was Bi Qi, Right Minister of the Department of State Affairs and father of the Crown Princess, whose elder brother, Bi Zi'ang, was also accompanying them.

The Left Minister of the Department of State Affairs was originally Yu Xuanhong, but unfortunately, due to the incidents involving Yu Nan and the Yu family of Yunzhong, he was dismissed from office and thus did not come this time.

The Five Ministers of the Department of State Affairs, however, did not come, remaining in the capital to handle state affairs. Zu'an secretly sighed in regret; he had originally wanted to meet with Sang Hong and inquire about Sang Qian's recent situation, wondering how she, being pregnant, was doing now.

From the Secretariat Department, Men Yi, the Chief of the Secretariat, and Lian Yu, the Grand Councilor of the Secretariat, were both present.

From the Chancellery Department, there was Pei Zheng, the Grand Counselor, who was Grand Manman's grandfather.

There was also Grand Counselor Dongfang Bai, which reminded Zu'an of the former dynasty matters Zhang Jie had mentioned earlier, as Dongfang Bai's wife was a princess of the former dynasty.

Among the Nine Ministers, Murong Tong, Minister of the Imperial Household; Jiang Boyang, Minister of Justice; and Zhen Xueyi, Minister of the Imperial Clan, were all present.

The Minister of the Imperial Household's duties included safeguarding the Emperor's safety, so his presence was natural and expected.

Unfortunately, Jiang Luofu did not come along.

Regarding Zhen Xueyi, Zu'an also recalled Zhang Jie's words: he too had deep ties with the former dynasty, yet his treatment in the current dynasty was vastly different from Dongfang Bai's.

However, Zhen Xueyi had secretly helped him last time when the scandal with Bi Linglong led to his imprisonment, a favor Zu'an still owed him.

With the Emperor traveling, safety was undoubtedly the top priority. Prince Liang, Zhao Yi, serving as General of the Rear Army, was accompanying with the elite central army from the capital's Six Great Camps.

However, the respective commanders of the Six Great Camps did not accompany them but instead took another portion of their forces to remain in the capital. Prince Qi's heir, Zhao Zhi, was one of these, serving as the Commander of the Yi Army.

Additionally, General of Chariots and Cavalry Liu Guang and General of the Guards Liu Yao also accompanied with forces from the Two Guards.

Zu'an had interacted with both Zhao Yi and Liu Yao in Brightmoon City before. Although he had thought their cultivation was very high at the time, it now seemed rather ordinary. Given their resources, their current cultivation level was exceptionally mediocre.

Compared to the Six Great Camps, the top officers of the Two Guards were more fully represented: Lü He, Left General of the Guards, who was the brother of Eunuch Lü, serving the Empress; Guo Zhi, Right General of the Guards, with whom Zu'an had often interacted in the palace previously; and Zhao Yuan, the Tiger Swift Guerrilla General, who was considered a distant branch of the imperial family and held the title of Prince Guangling.

Additionally, there were various units like Tiger Swift, Feathered Forest, Elite Cavalry, and Anomalous Strength. Speaking of which, Zu'an himself was still a Feathered Forest Colonel-Commander, and was technically one of them.

Sensing that almost all the important figures in the capital had turned out, Zu'an couldn't help but feel curious. "With all these important figures from the imperial court gone, aren't they worried about problems arising in the capital?"

Qin Guangyuan explained, "That's why the mid-level officials responsible for specific state affairs in various departments are still in the capital. Moreover, the Crown Princess is shrewd and capable, and there are many talented people in the Eastern Palace. Assisting the Crown Prince in overseeing state affairs won't be a big problem."

"I'm not worried about that," Zu'an said, naturally aware of Bi Linglong's capabilities. "It's that all the high-level combatants of the imperial court have left the capital. What if a demonic cult or rebel army causes trouble there?"

Murong Qinghe chuckled. "Brother Zu, you don't know, but there are the Eight Dukes in the capital. Those old recluses usually cultivate in seclusion in their residences; if anything truly happens, they certainly won't stand idly by."

Qin Yongde also explained, "The Eight Dukes are highly respected, and each possesses the cultivation of a Grandmaster. Who would be so foolish as to cause trouble in the capital? However, strictly speaking, there are only seven Dukes now, and speaking of which, this is related to Brother Zu."

Zu'an's heart stirred. "The Shi family?"

Qin Guangyuan nodded. "Indeed. The Shi family was the least experienced among the Eight Great Families. Their patriarch still needed time to achieve Grandmaster status. Unfortunately, you single-handedly destroyed their entire family, leaving them no chance. This incident caused no small shock to the various influential families in the capital at the time."

Zu'an felt a little dazed. The Shi family, whom he had provoked shortly after transmigrating to this world, turned out to be such a formidable power. It truly was a case of a newborn calf fearing no tiger.

As for the so-called Eight Dukes, Zu'an had heard of them for a long time but rarely seen them. Now that he thought about it, they were similar to the Elder Council of the Demon Imperial Court, generally not appearing in public and only emerging during major upheavals.

Zu'an found an opportunity to inquire about Consort Bai, but to his surprise, the others all looked bewildered.

"The Emperor did bring some concubines and palace maids on this trip," someone said, "but Consort Bai is the Crown Prince's secondary consort, so she shouldn't be among them, right?"

Seeing their confused expressions, Zu'an understood that the relationship between Consort Bai and the Emperor was likely known only to a handful of people in the palace. As for the officials outside, some might have suspected, but they would definitely not mention it in front of their younger relatives.

After getting a clear picture of the recent situation from them, he then went directly to request an audience with Zhao Hao.

After all, Zhao Hao's cultivation could not be underestimated; if he tried to sneak around and was eventually discovered, it would be disadvantageous.

With his current status, requesting an audience with the Emperor was not difficult. Eunuch Wen soon came out and led him to a massive imperial tent. Its surroundings were adorned with gold thread, agate, and jade pieces, a sight so dazzling it almost blinded him.

After the announcement, a faint voice came from inside: "Enter."

After Zu'an entered the tent, he found that while the imperial tent looked extremely luxurious from the outside, its interior arrangement was remarkably simple.

Zhao Hao was meditating on a soft couch, with two pots of precious incense placed before him. The entire tent provided an environment no less conducive to cultivation than the world's most renowned blessed lands and grotto-heavens.

It was clear that the entire tent was enhanced by a special rune array, and the incense likely contained many rare herbs and treasures used to aid in cultivation and health preservation.

Hearing him enter, Zhao Hao didn't even open his eyes. "Why are you here?"

Zu'an replied, "The matters at Mount Zi have concluded for now. I thought I should report to Your Majesty, and daring not disturb you further, I made a special trip here."

Only then did Zhao Hao open his eyes. Remembering how he had been summoned like a monkey a few days ago, his face couldn't help but twitch slightly. Now hearing Zu'an's words, his heart felt a little more at ease. "Good, you've improved."

Zu'an then roughly recounted what had happened on Mount Zi. He didn't hide the matter concerning Yun Jianyue either, as with so many people on Mount Zi, Zhao Hao would still find out even if he didn't say anything.

"That demoness Yun Jianyue is truly audacious," Zhao Hao snorted, clearly displeased. "But the Taoist sect's people are becoming increasingly incompetent, to only discover them when they reached the finals."

Zu'an replied, "The Taoist sect's decline merely proves that all the talented individuals have joined the imperial court. Your Majesty should be pleased."

Zhao Hao raised an eyebrow. "Haven't seen you for a while; you've certainly become more eloquent."

"This subject is merely speaking the truth," Zu'an said, his demeanor impeccable.

Zhao Hao nodded with satisfaction. "Were there any other unusual incidents at Mount Zi?"

"No," Zu'an replied, hesitating for a moment. He ultimately decided not to mention Wang Wuxie. Firstly, there was no evidence, and secondly, even if Wang Wuxie truly had problems, why would he warn Zhao Hao? He wasn't truly Zhao Hao's slave.

"The matters at Mount Zi were handled well this time," Zhao Hao said, his expression softening. "You've returned at just the right time; there's something I need you to handle now."

Zu'an cursed inwardly, realizing he was being given a task as soon as he returned. Nevertheless, he said, "I will do my best."

"It's not that difficult," Zhao Hao said nonchalantly, "just secretly execute a woman for me."