Chapter 2234: No Need for This Anymore

Outside the Jiang Residence, everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to see three teams of soldiers encircling the estate from all directions.

Unlike the lightly armed soldiers previously led by Prince Wu, these troops were all clad in heavy armor. The soldiers at the front carried thick shields taller than a man, and their synchronized footsteps, like heavy hammers, pounded on everyone's hearts. A chilling aura of killing intent spread, causing an uncontrollable sense of panic.

Behind the military formation, gigantic war chariots were arrayed, armed with trebuchets dozens of feet long and various runic cannons, all exuding a grim and menacing presence.

Jiang Boyang's face paled significantly. Having spent many years in the capital, he immediately recognized these troops as elite field armies from the Beijing vicinity.

Crucially, they had brought various heavy weapons, along with numerous formation masters. The entire army was now enveloped in complex runic formations, far superior to the simplified versions used by Prince Wu's forces earlier.

Prince Wu had only intended to deal with the Jiang family, and his previous arrangements would have been more than sufficient. However, he hadn't anticipated Zu An's sudden return.

The newly arrived army had clearly received news of Zu An's return and had made thorough preparations.

Whether it was the trebuchets or the runic cannons, a few shots would be enough to level the entire Jiang Residence, let alone its inhabitants.

Zu An also recognized the newcomers. The person in the center was Zhao Hao's uncle, Prince Yi, Grand General Zhengnan Zhao Huang, whose official rank had likely risen after the recent upheaval.

The other two leading golden-armored generals were Zhao Quan, the General of the East, and Zhao Zhang, the General of the North. Their father was Zhao Chen, the Grand Tutor and one of the Eight Dukes. Both generals were also on the same generational level as Zhao Hao's uncles.

After Zhao Hao's death, the imperial clan generally followed their lead.

Seeing the deep hatred in the eyes of Zhao Quan and Zhao Zhang, Zu An remembered that their father, Zhao Chen, had died by his hand. He mused that he had been too lenient then, not anticipating that they would engage in collective punishment tactics. As soon as he left the capital, they began to cause trouble.

"Regent, quickly release Prince Wu!" Prince Yi, Zhao Huang, shouted from the center of his army, maintaining a safe distance from the Jiang family and not approaching.

Prince Wu immediately wept with joy, "Grand-uncle, save me quickly!"

"Release him?" Zu An smiled faintly. "Alright."

He then slammed Prince Wu onto the ground. With a loud crash, an man-shaped crater instantly appeared in the bluestone pavement.

Prince Wu lay prone in the pit, his limbs twitching uncontrollably and completely unresponsive.

Blood seeped from his mouth and nose, and he resembled a limp rag doll, barely breathing out and not drawing breath in.

Zu An stated gravely, "For Yuqing's sake, I will spare your life today."

While he was spared death, he would not escape punishment.

Prince Wu's bones and meridians were all shattered. Only because he was a master himself could he barely cling to life.

At this moment, Prince Yi erupted in fury, "Zu An, what are you doing!"

Zu An glanced at him oddly. "Didn't you tell me to release him? I did."

"You!" Prince Yi gasped, almost suffocating from internal injury.

Zhao Quan, standing nearby, scoffed, "The Regent is indeed sharp-tongued. However, Prince Wu is of the late emperor's bloodline and a respected prince. For you to treat him like this, are you attempting to rebel?"

Jiang Luofu spoke up, "Prince Wu fabricated an imperial decree and led troops to besiege our Jiang Residence. This alone is a capital offense. The Regent has already been lenient."

Since Zu An was there to help her, she naturally couldn't let him face these accusations alone.

Zu An looked at her with a hint of surprise, a softer smile appearing on his face.

Zhao Huang and his group subconsciously glanced at the somewhat torn black stockings on Jiang Luofu's shapely thighs. They thought, *No wonder it's rumored in the circles that Jiang Boyang's daughter has the most beautiful legs in the capital. Seeing them today, the reputation is well-deserved.*

They were already quite old, held high positions, and had no shortage of beautiful women around them, so their desire for female beauty had long since faded.

Yet, for a fleeting moment, they all felt a flicker of their youthful ardor.

As the oldest, Zhao Huang was the first to regain his composure. "Hmph, we've heard about this matter. The Emperor did indeed issue such a decree. Prince Wu did not fabricate an imperial edict."

Jiang Luofu scoffed, holding up the imperial decree that had been by Prince Wu's side. "This is clearly a blank decree! If this isn't fabricating an imperial edict, what is?"

Zhao Zhang cursed, "Who knows what tricks you used to switch it out? Everyone knows the Regent is always lustful. It's obvious this time he's coveting your beauty and acting impartially to protect the Jiang family!"

Several people couldn't help but glance at Yun Yuqing, wondering why Prince Wu's consort was standing so intimately beside Zu An.

*As expected, no beautiful woman can escape Zu An's clutches.*

Jiang Luofu, as a disciplinarian of the academy and from a family of scholars, would have been more than capable of debating them if it were a scholarly discourse.

However, her opponents were not playing by conventional rules. Their words stunned her, and for a moment, her face flushed as she struggled to find a rebuttal.

It was Jiang Boyang, accustomed to dealing with major events, who first regained his composure. "Publicly, the Regent and I have served together in court for many years. He knows my character, and I would never participate in rebellion. Privately, the Regent and my daughter are good friends and colleagues at the academy, sharing a mentor-student bond. It's perfectly normal for him to help us."

Jiang Luofu shot her father an annoyed look. Although Zu An was also a Chancellor, she was a student of the *old* Chancellor. There was no mentor-student bond between her and Zu An.

Of course, she understood her father's intentions: first, to protect her reputation, and second, to avoid causing trouble for Zu An.

Prince Yi, Zhao Huang, sneered, "Whether or not it's rebellion is not for you to decide. To determine if Prince Wu fabricated the imperial decree, simply come with me to the palace for an audience with the Emperor, and the truth will be revealed."

He was determined in his heart: if Zu An agreed, he would immediately seize the opportunity to arrest them all as suspects. Dealing with Zu An afterward would be much easier.

Jiang Boyang and Jiang Luofu exchanged glances, both recognizing each other's apprehension.

They could tell that the imperial decree was indeed genuine, and though they didn't understand why such an edict would be issued from the palace, it likely meant that these individuals had gained control of the Emperor.

If they went to the palace for an audience and confrontation, the charge of rebellion against the Jiang Residence would likely be solidified.

But if they refused to confront, wouldn't it make the Jiang family appear guilty?

Just then, Zu An's languid voice resounded, "I don't think that will be necessary."

"What do you mean?" Prince Yi frowned.

"Nothing special. I said Lord Jiang isn't rebelling, so he isn't," Zu An stated calmly.

Prince Yi was both surprised and delighted. "The Emperor clearly stated he's rebelling. Are your words more authoritative than the Emperor's?"

Originally, dealing with the Jiang Residence seemed to be Prince Wu and the Bi family's idea. However, Zu An had unexpectedly gone overboard to protect them, uttering such rebellious words.

At that point, they could easily use the opportunity to brand Zu An as a rebel, which was an unexpected boon.

Both Yun Yuqing and the Jiang father and daughter immediately realized the danger and, fearing Zu An's impulsiveness, began to speak up to dissuade him.

Zu An raised a hand, giving them a look that told them not to worry.

Only then did he turn to Prince Yi and the others. "You lot rebelled previously, and I hadn't yet had time to settle scores with you. Now that you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep, it's good; it saves me the trouble of seeking you out one by one."

Jiang Luofu: "..."

Yun Yuqing: "..."

*This is what you meant by 'no need to worry'?*

They couldn't help but worry intensely. Although Zu An was powerful, he was still only one person, whereas the opposing forces were strong, well-equipped, and prepared.

Prince Yi burst into laughter. "So, Zu, you truly can't hide your wicked ambitions; you want to rebel!"

Zhao Zhang and Zhao Quan were equally surprised and delighted, never expecting such a windfall from this expedition.

Previously, because Zu An was too powerful, they hadn't known how to avenge their father's death. But now, it seemed he was courting death, making it perfectly viable to use the full might of the empire against him.

The three had already prepared. With a single gesture, their army adopted an attacking stance, while various large-scale war formations continuously flickered, guarding against a surprise attack.

With their forces deployed throughout the capital, the families traditionally close to Zu An wouldn't have time to come to his aid. This was the perfect opportunity to kill him.

At this moment, some individuals from Prince Wu's residence also dispersed around, subtly surrounding Zu An.

The four Grand Stewards of Prince Wu's residence were startled. Having witnessed Zu An's methods just now, they wondered if these people truly dared to oppose him.

*Wait, these people look somewhat unfamiliar. They seem to be from Princess Wu's side.*

Yun Yuqing was also both shocked and furious. "Elder Rong, what are you doing?"

The old man said calmly, "Miss, that's a question I should be asking you! What are *you* doing?"

Zu An glanced at the dozen or so people around him. The lowest cultivation level among them was Grandmaster, and half were Great Grandmasters. They must have used some special secret technique to conceal their aura and cultivation previously.

The surname Rong was quite rare in this world. Associating it with Yun Yuqing's demon lineage, he suddenly recalled that Princess Soros of the Demon Race had once mentioned to him that there were four great clans among the demons: Yun, Soros, Rong, and Wu. These people were from the Demon Race.