Chapter 1884: Fat Water Should Not Flow to Outsiders

The royal guards opened their mouths as if to speak, but after witnessing Liu Jinlin's gruesome state, no one dared utter a word. It was unclear who initiated it, but soon, everyone scrambled out, using both hands and feet, fleeing in a chaotic swarm.

Zu An was not a bloodthirsty man, so he did not trouble these low-ranking soldiers. Seeing the mess and bloodstains, he couldn't help but frown. "My apologies," he said, "for dirtying your courtyard." With a flick of his finger, a wisp of White Lotus True Fire struck the corpse, quickly incinerating it until not a speck remained. Murong Qinghe's eyelids twitched involuntarily. This man was disturbingly adept at destroying evidence; she wondered how many times he had done such a thing.

Chu Youzhao couldn't help but voice her concern. "Brother-in-law," she said, "you've killed the captain of the guards for Prince Jin's Estate. This is going to be big trouble."

At this point, Murong Qinghe interjected, "I'll take responsibility for this. Tell them I did it; we mustn't implicate Brother Zu. I'll leave the city immediately, and they won't be able to catch me then."

Chu Youzhao instinctively gripped her hand. "You're alone now," she said, "it's too dangerous out there."

"I shouldn't have come back," Murong Qinghe said, her face etched with regret and apology. "I just couldn't bear to... couldn't bear to leave Brother Chu. I wanted to see you one last time, but instead, I've only caused trouble for you."

"Do we really need to say such things to each other?" Chu Youzhao held her hand tightly, tears welling up at the thought of their impending separation.

Seeing the two women holding hands, their eyes brimming with tears, Zu An found it somewhat amusing. "What tragic scenarios are you two conjuring in your minds?" he asked. "He was merely a royal guard. Killing him is hardly a big deal."

"He wasn't just any royal guard," Chu Youzhao retorted, a hint of panic in her voice. "He was the captain of Prince Jin's guards! Aren't you openly disrespecting Prince Jin? When he finds out, Prince Jin won't let you off easily, and the imperial court will not sit idly by."

*Is Prince Jin's face more valuable than the Crown Prince's rear?* Zu An thought to himself. *I've already given the Crown Prince a good thrashing in the palace; why would I fear Prince Jin?* Aloud, he said, "Don't worry, leave the aftermath to me. If I say it's nothing, then it is nothing." Hearing his words, the two women finally felt a slight easing of their worries, though a hint of concern still lingered in their expressions.

Zu An looked around the room. "This place isn't suitable for living anymore," he stated. "Why don't you both come home with me?" The Qin Estate was dilapidated, drafts seeping in from all directions, making it difficult to guarantee safety.

Chu Youzhao's eyes lit up. *Wouldn't that mean I get to live with my brother-in-law?* she thought.

"Yes!" she readily agreed.

Murong Qinghe also felt a stir of excitement. She would be under the same roof as Brother Chu again. A sense of anticipation glowed in her eyes as she imagined a happy life sharing a home. "But I'm a wanted criminal now," she hesitated. "Wouldn't that implicate Brother Zu?"

"It's fine. Protecting your safety now shouldn't be a problem."

Looking at his tall figure, Murong Qinghe's cheeks flushed slightly. *Brother Zu truly exudes an inexplicable sense of security,* she thought. *And he's so handsome. If not for my childhood with Brother Chu, perhaps I would have fallen for...* *Pah, pah, pah! Murong Qinghe, how can you be so fickle? Brother Chu is clearly the best man in the world!*

Seeing Zu An prepare to leave with the two women, the Qin family guards looked distraught. "Lord Zu," one cried, "what will become of us if you leave? What if Prince Jin's men come knocking...?"

"Just tell them the truth," Zu An replied. "If they're looking for someone, they can come directly for me." After a moment's thought, he added, "Make sure you protect the Qin family members well. I'll send more people over shortly to help you ensure the Qin family's safety." The Qin Estate's current dilapidated state, open to the elements, was truly inadequate. It wouldn't do for other bandits to raid the family or harm its female members.

The Qin family guards were instantly overjoyed. "Lord Zu, your benevolence is boundless! Thank you, Lord Zu!" With the Qin family patriarch and young master both arrested, the entire clan was in a state of panic, many having fled. The sprawling Qin Estate lacked sufficient manpower for defense. Now, with Lord Zu's assistance, they could at least hope to stabilize the estate once more.

Zu An nodded and then departed with the two women, heading towards his Marquis's residence.

"Brother-in-law, thank you so much," Chu Youzhao said, wiping her eyes. The Qin family had been struck by sudden disaster recently, and she had spent her days consumed with worry, yet the estate remained vulnerable. Now, with Brother Zu's return, all these problems seemed to resolve themselves.

"It's nothing," Zu An replied with a smile.

*It's not "nothing,"* Chu Youzhao thought to herself. *My sister has already divorced you, and the Qin family is no longer connected to you. Besides, the Qin family never treated you well. Is brother-in-law doing all of this for my sake?* The thought sent a sudden rush of heat to her cheeks.

Zu An then turned to Murong Qinghe. "Sister Qinghe," he began, "weren't you serving in the military? How did you suddenly become a wanted criminal?"

At his words, Murong Qinghe's eyes immediately reddened, and she choked up. "When His Majesty met with trouble on the Golden Summit," she began, "the civil and military officials eventually broke through the mountain protection array and reached the summit, only to find it in ruins. It was clearly the aftermath of a brutal battle, with bloodstains everywhere, and His Majesty was nowhere to be found."

"For a month afterward, everyone searched near the Golden Summit. They even found Zhu Xie Chixin's identity jade tablet there, covered in blood, indicating he had likely met a grim fate. Fragments of other guards' weapons were also gradually discovered, but His Majesty remained missing. Even the ministers who had most adamantly believed in His Majesty's unparalleled power and invincibility began to waver."

"Everyone then began to reconstruct the entire incident. They roughly surmised that Prince Qi had orchestrated a plot, inviting other masters to jointly assassinate His Majesty there. The exact identities of those involved are still unclear, but it is suspected that individuals from the Taoist sects participated."

"Following that, a full investigation of the incident commenced. My father, as the Grand Minister of the Imperial Household, was charged with safeguarding His Majesty's safety. Thus, he was immediately held accountable and imprisoned." Although she had spent her formative years in military camps, which had given her a somewhat wild disposition, she was still only a teenage girl. Having endured such a massive upheaval to her family, she could no longer hold back her emotions and burst into tears as she spoke.

Zu An's brows furrowed slightly. "This is preposterous!" he exclaimed. "Everyone knows that the position of Grand Minister of the Imperial Household is now merely nominal, nothing more than one of the Nine High Ministers in name. What does this have to do with General Murong?"

In earlier times, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Household did indeed oversee the Imperial Palace Guards, bearing the crucial responsibility of protecting the emperor. It was a powerful and prestigious official position, envied by the common people. However, over many years of development, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Household had gradually become a largely ceremonial post, its power dispersed among various officials, including the Left and Right Guard Generals. The transfer of Murong Tong from Imperial Censor to Grand Minister of the Imperial Household was nominally a lateral move, or even a promotion, but in reality, it was a demotion to an idle, sidelined post.

Murong Qinghe wiped away her tears. "Everyone knows that," she conceded, "but Grandfather happened to be aligned with Prince Qi. This time, Prince Qi orchestrated the assassination of His Majesty, and since Prince Qi himself cannot be found for now, someone had to take responsibility. My grandfather just happened to be the Grand Minister of the Imperial Household, and because he was usually too forthright and had offended many people, he became the convenient scapegoat."

"Then why did you escape and become a wanted criminal?" Zu An asked, curious.

Murong Qinghe pursed her lips. "When the soldiers came to arrest our family," she explained, "my grandfather knew the Murong clan was doomed. He didn't want me to suffer a tragic fate, so he found a chance to get me out."

Zu An nodded. Murong Tong, though hot-tempered, was clever. He knew that as a scapegoat, his fate would be dire. If Murong Qinghe were also imprisoned, she would not only face brutal torture and interrogation but, as an attractive young woman, other dangers as well. She would most likely be crippled, her cultivation ruined, and sent to the Imperial Entertainment Bureau, condemned to live the remainder of her life in endless suffering. He cherished this granddaughter above all else; how could he allow her to suffer such a fate? That's why he found a way to help her break free and escape.

"You shouldn't have returned to the capital," Zu An lamented. "You've undone all your grandfather's painstaking efforts."

Murong Qinghe wiped the tears from her face. "The entire Murong family is suffering," she said. "How could I possibly live comfortably and simply survive on my own? I returned to the capital precisely to see if there was any opportunity to save my family."

Seeing Murong Qinghe's torn clothes and her face disheveled with blood and dirt, Zu An sighed, figuring she must have endured much hardship recently. "With your current cultivation," he said, "you likely won't be able to save them. You'll only sacrifice your life in vain."

"If I cannot save them," Murong Qinghe declared, "then the worst that can happen is I die alongside them. No one in the Murong family, male or female, has ever feared death." Though young, a look of fierce determination graced her face. Zu An couldn't help but admire her; this young girl possessed a remarkably heroic spirit.

At that moment, Chu Youzhao tugged at his sleeve. "Brother-in-law," she pleaded, "can you help little Qinghe? She's so pitiful."

Hearing Chu Youzhao's familiar address, Murong Qinghe's face slightly flushed. "Brother Chu," she said, "the Murong family's predicament is far too grave. Don't make things difficult for Brother Zu." She knew perfectly well that with the emperor's assassination, an explanation would be demanded by the world. And their Murong clan, unloved and without strong backing, was unmistakably the ideal scapegoat. Whether it was the Emperor's faction or Prince Qi's faction, both intended to use the Murong family as a sacrifice to appease the world. This was not something an individual's power could change.

Zu An considered this for a moment, then said gravely, "Sister Qinghe, you needn't worry too much. The situation might not be as dire as you imagine. For now, stay at my residence without worry, and I will see if there is any way to save the Murong family."

"Is there truly a way?" Murong Qinghe, who had been completely disheartened, felt her eyes suddenly gleam with astonishing light at his words. She immediately knelt before him in a bow. "If Brother Zu can save the Murong family, every member of our clan will be eternally grateful. I, Murong Qinghe, will devote my entire life to serving you, even as a humble servant, to repay your kindness."

Zu An couldn't help but tease, "Shouldn't such promises typically involve offering oneself in marriage? Or are you simply reluctant to leave my Youzhao?"

Murong Qinghe's face paled. She was indeed deeply in love with Chu Youzhao, which was why she had subconsciously avoided that particular kind of vow and phrased her gratitude differently. However, compared to the safety of her entire family, what was her personal happiness? So, she immediately said, "If Brother Zu does not find my humble self displeasing, then for this life and all eternity, I shall..." As she spoke, a pang of sorrow twisted her heart, and her eyes welled up with tears.

Zu An was startled and quickly stopped her. "I was just joking with you!" he exclaimed. "How could you take it seriously? It's entirely my fault for being so blunt. Please don't take it to heart."

At that moment, Chu Youzhao, who stood nearby, said with a mischievous smile, "Little Qinghe, don't worry about it. Brother-in-law and I are practically family. I wouldn't mind at all. In fact, we could all live together quite happily!"