Chapter 407: Flag cannot be set arbitrarily

Soon after, the video communication mirror connected, revealing Chu Chuyan's figure. Her beauty was as stunning as ever, though a hint of helplessness now graced her face. "Ah Zu," she said, "I really don't have enough primordial stones to chat with you idly. How about this: you can punish me however you like when I get back, alright?"

Seeing her shy expression, Zu An's heart fluttered, but he quickly remembered the urgent matter at hand. "I really do have something important to tell you this time," he said quickly. "Something has happened to the Chu clan..."

He then hastily recounted the events that had unfolded in the Chu clan.

Chu Chuyan's expression changed several times as she listened. "It's General Wei Liu Yao... he's a staunch supporter of the Empress's faction. It seems the Empress is finally making her move."

"What should we do now? The entire Chu clan is under control. I managed to get Xiao Zhao safely to the academy, but I'm out of ideas." Zu An had a headache. His previous success with Old Man Mi and Wei Dan was pure coincidence. Strictly speaking, he hadn't truly dealt with Old Man Mi or Wei Dan. Wei Dan had been killed by Old Man Mi, and even after using all his trump cards and tactics, Zu An was ultimately subdued by the dying Old Man Mi. If Old Man Mi's soul possession hadn't gone wrong, Zu An might not have been alive. So now, facing a peak 9th-rank master and a large group of fierce imperial guards, with such a vast difference in power, he wasn't a god and couldn't think of any solution.

"Don't worry," Chu Chuyan said, "the Chu clan has stood for centuries; it won't fall so easily."

Zu An was speechless. "Wife, where do you get such confidence? Honestly, I'm really not optimistic about your chances this time."

Chu Chuyan suddenly asked, "How many men did Liu Yao bring this time?"

"I don't know the exact number, but it's probably a few hundred," Zu An replied.

"That's good then," Chu Chuyan said with a sigh of relief.

Zu An was speechless again. A peak 9th-rank general and hundreds of elite imperial guards – how could that seem insignificant to her?

Chu Chuyan then asked, "Oh, and what about Yue Shan?"

"I heard Yue Shan was also arrested," Zu An replied, silently wondering what good a mere 5th-rank practitioner like Yue Shan could do, even if he hadn't been captured.

Chu Chuyan continued, "Then I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to risk going back to the Chu clan. Quietly contact my mother, get the military tally from her, and bring in the Red Robe Army from outside the city." Previously, when Chu Zhongtian had an incident, he entrusted the military tally to Qin Wanru for safekeeping before he left.

Zu An naturally knew that moving troops required a military tally; otherwise, it would cause great chaos. But at the moment, he was more surprised by something else: "Wife, what are you doing? Are you planning an open rebellion?" As someone from a civilized world with abundant historical precedents, he knew that attempting rebellion in the early stages of a mature, unified dynasty was almost a dead end. Moreover, the strongest person in this world was the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and other officials were ranked by their cultivation level. The Chu clan's highest-ranked member was only an 8th-rank practitioner. What good would fighting do?

Chu Chuyan smiled faintly. "Our Chu clan existed before the Great Zhou Dynasty was founded, controlling the lucrative salt and iron industries. Do you think we've stood strong for nearly a thousand years simply by relying on individual martial prowess?"

"Otherwise?" Zu An blinked. He had always found it strange that ever since he came to the Chu clan, it seemed like a pliable dough, easily manipulated by various factions.

"Of course, it's thanks to our Red Robe Army, passed down through generations!" A rare fervor flashed in Chu Chuyan's eyes. "As long as the Red Robe Army exists, our Chu clan endures! It seems we've been too discreet these past years, and the world has truly come to believe that any Chu clan member can be easily bullied!"

Zu An couldn't help but say, "But no matter how powerful the Red Robe Army is, their numbers are limited. And clashing with the imperial guards would be an open rebellion. With the Emperor being so strong, I still don't see a future for the Chu clan."

Chu Chuyan couldn't help but smile. "I didn't expect someone as bold as you to feel nervous at times."

Zu An scoffed, "If you're truly determined to rebel, I'll join you. Some people started with nothing but a bowl and succeeded in becoming emperor. Why can't we, with such a good starting capital? In the future, I'll be the Emperor and you'll be the Empress!"

Chu Chuyan was startled. "Don't talk nonsense like that! It'll cause trouble if officials hear you. My intention in having you summon the Red Robe Army isn't to fight the imperial guards to the death. It's mainly to display our strength and deter Liu Yao and his men from acting recklessly."

"Deterrence?" Zu An was a bit confused.

"Exactly," Chu Chuyan explained. "The Emperor always needs a proper justification for his actions; he can't just do whatever he pleases. Otherwise, with his power, eradicating our Chu clan would be effortless. But doing so would shake the very foundation of his rule. With our example, everyone would feel insecure, and his throne would become unstable."

Zu An immediately understood. No wonder Sang Hong had been sent before, using the Yuan clan to target weapons and the Zheng clan to target illegal salt, detaining Chu Tiesheng over salt permits, and even instigating Hong Zhong against Chu Tiesheng. No one could find fault with their methods, yet they had still failed. He had to admit that even the Emperor, despite being the strongest in the world, must feel frustrated, unable to do exactly as he wished.

"So, bringing the Red Robe Army is to deter Liu Yao from disregarding rules, prevent him from using coercive methods to force confessions from Chu clan members, and stop him from being disrespectful to my parents," Chu Chuyan continued. "It's also to showcase our strength to various factions, proving the Chu clan's value, which will encourage other forces to act accordingly."

Zu An listened, dumbfounded. "I suddenly feel like marrying you was a mistake."

Chu Chuyan's face paled. "What do you mean?"

Zu An sighed dramatically. "My wife is too smart. It'll be inconvenient for me, as her husband, to fool around in the future."

Chu Chuyan was speechless.

Rage points from Chu Chuyan +233!

"Just kidding, hahaha," Zu An quickly said, nervously changing the subject. "I still don't quite understand. Even if the Red Robe Army provides deterrence, Liu Yao can still find things if he keeps investigating. After all, the deficit in the Salt Transport Commission still exists."

"It doesn't matter, as long as we can buy some time," Chu Chuyan replied.

"Buy some time?" Zu An paused, surprised.

Chu Chuyan smiled mysteriously. "You'll know soon enough."

After the video call ended, Zu An was still full of doubts, but he knew Chu Chuyan would never act without reason. So, he suppressed his questions and decided to go to the Chu clan to find Madam Chu first.

Arriving near the Chu clan estate, he found the area already cordoned off by imperial guards. However, this didn't pose a challenge for him. Firstly, he was very familiar with the Chu clan's layout. Secondly, with his current 5th-rank cultivation and the "Bright Mirror, Not a Stand" skill, breaking through the defenses of these ordinary imperial guards was not difficult. As long as he wasn't unlucky enough to run into the 9th-rank General Wei.

He stealthily made his way through the courtyards, arriving near the pavilion in the back garden, the very spot where Qiao Xueying had kicked him into the water, and he had pulled her in as well. The thought of Qiao Xueying distracted him for a moment, and that's when he noticed two people chatting in the pavilion in the distance.

Just then, one of the people in the pavilion looked up, and their eyes met across the distance. Both froze, and then the other person shouted loudly, "Zu An! That's Zu An!"

"Damn you, Hong Xingying!" Zu An cursed under his breath and took off running.

At that moment, a figure shot out from the pavilion with a speed many times faster than his own. In the entire Chu clan, the only enemy with such speed must be that 9th-rank General Wei.

Zu An wished he could slap himself. After watching so many movies in his previous life, hadn't he learned the cost of setting a jinx? He wished he had two more legs to run with, but it was too late. The opponent was so fast that they were behind him almost in the blink of an eye.

Liu Yao was already annoyed about not having caught Zu An and Second Miss Chu, so upon seeing him, there was no way he would let him go. He reached forward, and a large, ethereal hand materialized from all directions, clenching towards Zu An.