Chapter 1912: Catching the Corrupt Official

Chapter 427: Apprehending the Lecherous Rogue

"Are you bringing them to visit Youzhao?" Jiang Luofu asked with a smile.

Zu An nodded, "Yes, they came to the capital to visit the Qin family, and this time they're bringing Youzhao along."

Jiang Luofu nodded, "I happen to have nothing to do today, so I'll go with you."

"Great," Zu An thought. Her father was the Grand Justiciar, theoretically the head of the Great Zhou Dynasty's judiciary. Furthermore, she herself was a law scholar from the academy's back mountains. Having her along would provide many conveniences.

A faint smile appeared on Jiang Luofu's usually cold face. With a light step, she seated herself directly in front of the carriage, beside Zu An.

A pair of shapely calves, encased in black silk, dangled casually in the air, causing the hearts of the surrounding Chu family guards to flutter.

Such beautiful legs, enhanced by black silk, would surely evoke a reaction from any man.

As she had taken a seat, Yue Shan discreetly dismounted from the other side and led the horse from the front. He secretly sighed to himself, marveling at how formidable the son-in-law had become. Back in Brightmoon City, everyone used to say that the son-in-law was incredibly lucky to have joined the Chu family, as if his ancestors' graves had been blessed.

Now, it seemed it was the Chu family's ancestral graves that were being blessed...

Bah, bah, bah! How could I have such disrespectful thoughts?

Speaking of which, Principal Jiang's legs are really beautiful. She and the son-in-law seem to get along quite well. I wonder if she'll become a rival for the Eldest Miss's affection in the future.

At this moment, Chu Huanzhao evidently had the same idea. She squeezed directly between the two of them. "I want to sit outside too, it's easier to see the scenery."

Seeing the other party deliberately separate her and Zu An, Jiang Luofu smiled faintly. She naturally understood the young girl's thoughts but didn't mind.

Qin Wanru, however, felt a little embarrassed. "You brat, there's so little space outside. Why are you squeezing in? Hurry up and get inside."

Even if Ah Zu became the Libationer, he was too young and might not be able to control those unruly teachers. It was better to foster a good relationship with Principal Jiang; with her support, his work would be much easier to carry out in the future.

Little Zhao is truly an unthinking girl!

Jiang Luofu chuckled, "It's fine, there's enough space."

She then comforted Qin Wanru, saying, "Oh, Madam Chu, you really don't need to worry. My father secretly sent people to look after the two Dukes of the Qin family in prison. They should be fine. We're just waiting for the forces from Purple Mountain to return, and then the court will finalize its decision on the Purple Mountain case."

Qin Wanru immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She took Jiang Luofu's hand and gratefully said, "I truly must thank your esteemed father and you. If not for your care, I don't know how much my father and the others would have suffered in the imperial prison."

"It's only right," Jiang Luofu said solemnly. "The two Dukes are loyal to the country and recently resisted the demon army. They shouldn't have ended up like this."

Qin Wanru's impression of her immediately improved greatly. She took Jiang Luofu's hand and began to chat about everyday things. Later, she even started contemplating introducing a partner to her: "Principal Jiang, you're so beautiful, why are you still single after all these years? Your older sister will definitely find you a good match, don't worry. My eye for choosing husbands for women is top-notch. Look at Chuyan's husband, he was chosen by me against all objections back then..."

Chu Huanzhao pouted, thinking, *Mother is something else, insisting on calling herself 'older sister,' making me seem a generation younger for no reason.*

*Hmm, wait a minute, is Mother playing a long game? That way, Jiang Luofu would become the elder of my brother-in-law, and it naturally wouldn't be appropriate for anything to happen between them.*

She couldn't help but glance at her mother, seeing her gleeful expression. She shook her head slightly. *Mother's intelligence is like mine; she definitely isn't that clever. She just said it casually.*

Jiang Luofu glanced at Zu An at this moment and smiled, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam Chu, but I still prefer to choose the person I like myself."

"That's true," Qin Wanru nodded. "Ah Zu, you should also keep an eye out for Principal Jiang. Your social circle is wide now; there should be more excellent people around you."

Zu An chuckled, "But no one around me is as excellent as I am. I'd feel a bit awkward introducing them to Sister Jiang."

Qin Wanru gave him an exasperated glare. "Look at how smug you are. One shouldn't be too arrogant."

Jiang Luofu also nodded at this point. "Ah Zu isn't wrong. Among his peers, there's no one more outstanding than him. Even among the previous generation, few can compare to him."

Hearing her words, Qin Wanru finally became vigilant. *This woman praises Ah Zu so much; could she also have fallen for him?*

*No, I must be more cautious from now on.*

*They say men with wealth and power go astray. While I'm happy that Ah Zu is now prospering, his flirtatious tendencies will likely increase, and he'll probably become more interested when he sees pretty girls.*

*Chuyan isn't by his side for long periods, so I need to help keep a close eye on him.*

*This Jiang Luofu, with her black silk and long legs, looks so alluring every day, yet she also possesses a cold, glamorous aura that keeps strangers at bay, a fatal attraction to men. It's too dangerous for her and Ah Zu to constantly see each other in the future...*

As she was lost in thought, the carriage had already reached the peak of Yuquan Mountain. Seeing the pond filled with vibrant, dewy lotus flowers and the freely swimming red carp, Qin Wanru instantly felt refreshed. Her girlish heart swelled, and she pulled her daughter out of the carriage to watch and admire the scenery.

Not long after, Chu Youzhao, having heard the news, rushed out, exclaiming with surprise and joy, "Mother, Second Sister!"

Qin Wanru turned around and saw her youngest daughter, delicately adorned and looking like a graceful young gentleman. She was equally delighted. "Oh, my darling!"

The two quickly embraced.

Chu Huanzhao pouted. *The one you haven't seen for a long time is "my darling," but when you scold me, I'm "you brat."*

She couldn't help but glance around and spotted the slightly awkward Murong Qinghe nearby. Her eyes immediately lit up.

*This young girl is so handsome!*

Her face was somewhat childlike, but her figure was remarkably tall. Her honey-colored skin was quite unique, and her whole being exuded a radiant, energetic beauty, a stark contrast to the delicate young ladies usually confined to their boudoirs.

"Are you the Murong family's young lady?" Chu Huanzhao walked over curiously to greet her. Seeing the spear separated into two halves at her waist, she pondered when she could spar with her to see whose spear skills were better, or whose whip techniques were superior.

"Hello, Second Sister!" Murong Qinghe instinctively called out, then her cheeks flushed, and she quickly corrected herself. "Hello, Second Miss Chu, I am Murong Qinghe."

She wished there was a hole to crawl into. Things hadn't even started with Brother Chu yet, so how could she have called her "Second Sister"?

She could only blame herself for not expecting Madam Chu to come, which made her feel unprepared and anxious, like meeting a parent unexpectedly.

At this moment, Qin Wanru also noticed Murong Qinghe and walked over. "This must be Little Qinghe. Youzhao often mentioned you in her letters. You really are quite handsome."

She was very satisfied with this first impression. *Youzhao really does have good taste.*

The only concern was that Youzhao wasn't a boy; what would happen when it came time for marriage?

"Greetings, Madam Chu." Murong Qinghe was usually quite bold in the military camp, but upon meeting her future mother-in-law, she couldn't help but feel a spontaneous shyness, afraid of leaving a bad impression.

"For our first meeting, I haven't prepared any gifts, so take this bracelet," Qin Wanru said, slipping off the green jade bracelet from her wrist and handing it to Murong Qinghe. "It's been with me for many years and should be passed down through generations."

"This is too valuable, I can't accept it." Murong Qinghe waved her hand, blushing. The value was secondary; it was mainly the implied meaning. This seemed to be a bracelet worn by the mistress of the Chu family, clearly meant to be passed to a daughter-in-law. Although she and Brother Chu were deeply in love, still...

"Just take it. What's valuable or not valuable about it? This jade bracelet is just an inanimate object; how could it be more precious than you, a living person?" Qin Wanru put the bracelet onto her wrist without allowing for refusal.

Murong Qinghe couldn't refuse. "Then, thank you, Madam."

Her small face was flushed. *Did this mean the Chu family had recognized their relationship?*

*Brother Chu used to say his mother had a bad temper, but she seems quite kind now.*

Thinking that the Murong family had fallen into decline and she herself had become a wanted fugitive, yet the other party didn't mind at all and even passed her the bracelet symbolizing a daughter-in-law, her eyes reddened, and she was so touched she wanted to cry.

Brother Chu had taken a huge risk to shelter her, Madam Chu didn't despise her current status at all, and Brother Zu even killed Prince Jin for her sake.

In that instant, she made up her mind: no matter what the future held, she would marry into the Chu family and remain loyal to Brother Chu.

"Everyone's here," Jiang Luofu said. "Let's go to the imperial prison together."

Hearing their destination, Murong Qinghe pursed her lips. "I... I also want to see my father and grandfather."

The Murong family was also imprisoned in the imperial prison, and she wondered how they were doing, and if they were suffering.

Jiang Luofu looked somewhat troubled. "Your official status is still that of a wanted fugitive of the court. If you go directly to the imperial prison..."

Murong Qinghe's expression darkened. She knew she probably couldn't go; not only would it be dangerous for her, but she would also implicate them.

At this moment, Zu An's voice rang out, "It's fine. Just disguise yourself a bit."

As he spoke, he took out a mask as thin as a cicada's wing and handed it to her. "Wear this, change your clothes, and pretend to be one of our attendants. No one will recognize you."

Murong Qinghe was both surprised and delighted. "Thank you, Brother Zu!"

*Brother Chu's brother-in-law is so kind. If I hadn't met Brother Chu first, I might have even fallen for...*

*Pah, pah, pah! Murong Qinghe, aren't you ashamed? That's Brother Chu's brother-in-law! How can you have such thoughts?*

She returned to her room to disguise herself for a while and soon emerged. Indeed, she had transformed from a spirited, beautiful girl into an ordinary passerby.

Jiang Luofu couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah Zu, this mask of yours is truly amazing. If you used it to engage in illicit affairs, no one would know it was you afterward."

Qin Wanru and Chu Huanzhao immediately pricked up their ears. *Had he really used this mask to do bad deeds?*

Zu An's face clouded over. "I obtained this by chance in the past and kept it because I found it useful for traveling the jianghu. It's not as sleazy as you think."

Jiang Luofu chuckled, "It's just occupational habit. I've been investigating a case involving a lecherous rogue these days, so I spoke from experience. Don't mind me."

"Do you need help?" Zu An quickly asked, "Those lecherous rogues are skilled at using drugs. You should be careful." He still had lingering fears from witnessing the power of the Oblivion Rosemary just a few days ago.

Jiang Luofu twirled the pencil in her hand, her face cold and proud. "Don't worry. I am, after all, a direct disciple of my teacher, one of the Eight Masters of the Academy's back mountains. If I can't even handle a petty lecherous rogue, I might as well quit."