Chapter 2233: Nest Robbing

The experts from Prince Wu's manor swallowed hard when they saw Elder Lin's fate, especially the Four Grand Ministers, who instinctively took a step back. Elder Lin was like an insurmountable mountain in their minds. They had believed that with him leading the charge, they might stand a chance against Zu An. Who would have thought he'd be instantly killed with such ease?

Where was the invincible aura and elusive skills you displayed when you suppressed us? How could you die without even using any of them? They finally realized that the Regent King was far more terrifying than the rumors suggested. What was the point of fighting him then? Prince Wu must be out of his mind to make an enemy of such a man. He'd better beg the Princess to put in a good word for him. Perhaps if the Regent King was amused, he might even spare Prince Wu's life. Yes, his survival would only give the Regent King a greater sense of conquest.

"Why are you retreating? Attack for this king!" Seeing his subordinates' subtle movements, Prince Wu panicked and yelled. As he spoke, he tried to turn his horse around and flee, but his hands trembled uncontrollably, and his entire body felt weak. He couldn't even manage the simple movements he normally performed with ease. The experts from Prince Wu's manor rolled their eyes, thinking, *The Regent King is so formidable, and you expect us to charge forward? Do you take us for fools?* While Prince Wu had treated them well over the years, it wasn't a kindness worth repaying with their lives.

Seeing his subordinates frown and protect him, Prince Wu was nearly in tears. Trembling, he held up the imperial decree and said to Zu An, "This king acts on imperial orders; you cannot kill me." Zu An waved his hand casually, and a terrifying suction force immediately enveloped Prince Wu's body, pulling him forward. Prince Wu usually prided himself on being a master, but at this moment, he couldn't even entertain a thought of resistance. His body felt as soft as noodles, and after being pulled from his mount, he couldn't stand, collapsing to his knees with a thud. Seeing his pathetic state, Yun Yuqing's delicate brows furrowed slightly, eventually softening into a gentle sigh.

"On imperial orders?" Zu An waved a hand, and the imperial decree instantly appeared in his grasp. He opened it and his expression tightened. He had initially thought Prince Wu was fabricating the decree, as he knew Bi Linglong's character would never allow her to issue such an order. However, it was clearly written in black and white: the Jiang family was accused of rebellion, and Prince Wu was commanded to capture them all. He glanced towards the imperial palace, wondering what exactly was going on. But he quickly composed himself, ran a hand over the decree, and watched as all the words vanished. He then showed the blank scroll to everyone, declaring, "Zhao Yan, how dare you fabricate an imperial decree!"

The members of the Jiang family cheered loudly. They had thought their family was doomed, but unexpectedly, they had found a ray of hope. Jiang Boyang and Jiang Luofu, however, saw exactly what had happened. As individuals who had always worked in legal matters, this act made their eyebrows twitch. Yet, they were not so pedantic as to correct him at such a critical juncture.

Prince Wu stared at the blank decree, utterly stunned. *He could do that?* But he immediately came to his senses, followed by a profound shiver that coursed through his entire being. Without the imperial decree as a protective charm, the other party could now legitimately kill him on the charge of fabricating an imperial order. At this thought, he frantically called out to Yun Yuqing, "Yuqing, save me! Please say something to him!" As he spoke, he fumbled, trying to grab her sleeve. Yun Yuqing dodged aside, then looked at him with a mix of disappointment and anger. "Zhao Yan, you always prided yourself on being a hero. Look at what you've become now!"

"Compared to the Regent King, what kind of hero am I? I'm nothing but a coward," Prince Wu said, his face contorted in a fawning smile. He thought, *A true man knows when to yield and when to assert himself. As long as I survive this ordeal, it won't be too late to seek revenge later.* Yun Yuqing became even more disappointed, and a hint of disgust appeared in her eyes. She turned away, no longer acknowledging him. However, after a moment of hesitation, she secretly sent a message to Zu An: "A'Zu, he and I have been husband and wife in name for so many years. Although there's no love between us, there is some connection. Can you perhaps..."

Before she could finish, Prince Wu, seeing her ignore him, assumed she intended to stand by idly. In a fit of rage, he burst out cursing, "You slut! Haven't I been good enough to you all these years? Now that you've climbed to a higher branch, you discard me like a worn-out shoe! Regent King, if a woman like this can abandon me today, she can just as easily abandon you if she finds a better choice in the future!" Zu An glanced at Yun Yuqing, his eyes clearly asking, *Is such a person truly worth your intercession?* Hearing Prince Wu's words, Yun Yuqing trembled with rage. "You!"

Zu An then looked down at Prince Wu and said, "Oh, you think there's a better choice than me in this world?" Prince Wu quickly slapped himself. "My clumsy mouth! Regent King, you are indeed her best choice, and the strongest man in this world. I only beg you to consider that I personally acted as a matchmaker for you two back then, and please don't hold this against me." Jiang Luofu, who had been listening, widened her eyes. *Hmm, from his tone, it sounds like Prince Wu willingly offered his Princess to Zu An? What kind of behavior is that? So I misunderstood A'Zu. Presumably, Prince Wu's Princess also fell in true love with A'Zu after that incident. They truly are deeply in love.*

Zu An frowned. "A man of honor understands that it's the victor who rules and the vanquished who perishes. Death is death; why grovel like this?" Immediately, his hand pressed onto Prince Wu's head.

"Stop!" At that moment, a furious shout suddenly echoed from the distance. Dust flew as a troop of riders galloped swiftly towards them.

Meanwhile, within the imperial palace, the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where the emperor resided, was heavily guarded. If Zu An were there, he would surely notice that these imperial guards were all unfamiliar faces. At this moment, all the guards were vigilantly scanning their surroundings, as if preventing any outsiders from approaching. Inside the main hall, Emperor Zhao Ruizhi was meeting Bi Qi, the head of the Bi family. All palace maids and eunuchs had been dismissed. If an outsider were present, they would surely be startled, for Zhao Ruizhi's eyes were sparkling with keen intelligence, showing not the slightest hint of his usual foolishness.

"Venerable Myriad Feet has been exposed," Bi Qi said, picking up his teacup and taking a sip. He subconsciously frowned, thinking, *This stuff is really bitter. I don't know why people enjoy drinking it so much.* Zhao Ruizhi snorted, "That fellow is more trouble than he's worth." "It's not entirely his fault; that Zu An is indeed very formidable," Bi Qi said, tossing his teacup aside with a look of disdain. "Fortunately, you were cautious enough not to let Venerable Myriad Feet know how to truly contact us," Zhao Ruizhi said, leaning back. Two strange, shimmering colors seemed to flicker in his eyes.

"Hmph, he was merely a pawn who has now completed his mission and honorably retired," Bi Qi chuckled, not a trace of regret on his face. "However, it's worth noting that Zu An has already rushed to the Jiang family. Prince Wu is over there, and that fool is probably about to hit a brick wall." "Perfect then. According to our intelligence, Zu An previously killed a prince on the street, causing quite a stir. It would be best if he also kills Prince Wu this time. Then we can truly enjoy the spectacle," Zhao Ruizhi said, a peculiar expression on his plump face, completely unlike his usual foolish demeanor.

"Exactly, it's best if he kills Prince Wu. The bigger the commotion, the better. We can then use the entire empire's strength to deal with him," Bi Qi also chuckled sinisterly. "Poor fool Prince Wu believes he's using us, but he doesn't realize he's just a pathetic pawn." Zhao Ruizhi also laughed. "That guy may be stupid, but he does have a very beautiful wife." "After that guy dies, won't his Princess be ours for the taking?" Bi Qi said, meeting his gaze. Both felt that everything was proceeding more smoothly than expected.

"The Empress seems to have detected something unusual; she no longer comes here to pay her respects as she used to," Zhao Ruizhi said, sounding a bit displeased. Bi Qi smiled. "No matter, I'll find some time to persuade her. After all, I am her father." Hearing this, Zhao Ruizhi shook his head slightly. "Often, when daughters grow up, they tend to put their own interests first, and it's even questionable whether she still acknowledges you as her father. In my opinion, it would be better to completely make her one of us."