Chapter 437: Killing Intent

In the carriage ahead, Zu An smiled at Zheng Dan. "How about we continue?"

"No!" Zheng Dan shook her head vehemently. The sudden turn of events moments ago had nearly scared her to death. If it had been even a moment later, everything would have been seen, and she would have been too ashamed to face anyone.

"Don't worry," Zu An persisted, "what are the chances of another accident happening so coincidentally?"

But no matter what he said, Zheng Dan just blushed and shook her head.

Outside the carriage, Huang Huihong frowned. Was Zu An addicted to having his feet massaged by her?

Only a scoundrel like him would ask a refined young lady and the wife of an official to do such a thing.

Huang Huihong shook his head, deciding he couldn't concern himself with that now.

The recent attack had served as a stark warning. A group of disorganized thugs had nearly succeeded in assassinating Zu An, making him wary of even the slightest carelessness.

Not only him, but the entire Imperial Guard contingent became tense.

However, the following days were calm, with no second attack as they had expected.

Yet, both Zu An and Sang Hong knew this was the calm before the storm. Liang Wang and Liu Yao, on the other hand, seemed to relax gradually after the initial tension of the first few days, as nothing further happened.

About half a month later, the group left Linchuan Commandery and entered the territory of the King of Wu.

From a distance, they saw a contingent of riders galloping towards them, and the relaxed mood of the past few days immediately turned tense throughout the convoy.

Even Liang Wang and Liu Yao stepped out of their carriages, their expressions grim with vigilance.

However, they soon noticed that the cavalry was not in an attacking formation, and their expressions eased slightly.

Soon, the riders reined in their horses and stopped. Three knights emerged from the group and approached Liang Wang. The leader, a middle-aged scholar, bowed and said, "Your humble servant Sun Buqi greets Liang Wang and General Wei."

"Sun Buqi? That name sounds familiar," Liang Wang said, stroking his beard.

Liu Yao, standing nearby, remarked, "I've heard that you and Sheng Hong are the King of Wu's right-hand men, one civil and one military, managing the King of Wu's estate very well."

Because of the Crown Prince, the Liu family paid particular attention to any forces that might threaten his position. As one of the imperial princes, the King of Wu had naturally been a subject of their scrutiny.

"General Liu, you flatter me," the middle-aged scholar said with a smile. "I merely assist with some miscellaneous matters in the King's estate and do not deserve such praise. This time, I have specifically come on behalf of the King of Wu to invite both of you to be guests at his residence. The King originally intended to welcome you personally, but he was too busy preparing for your arrival to leave, which is why he sent me. We hope you will not mind."

Liang Wang chuckled, "You're too kind, too kind. We are not so petty. However, as we are escorting an imperial prisoner on this journey, it might be inconvenient to stay too long. We can only thank the King of Wu for his kind invitation."

Sun Buqi cupped his hands.

He continued, "When I set out this time, the King of Wu specifically instructed me to ensure both of you accept his invitation. Publicly, you two have endured hardship escorting the imperial prisoner, and the King of Wu wishes to contribute to the court. Privately, both of you are elders to the King of Wu. Since the King is not in the capital, he has rarely had the chance to see either of you over the years. This opportunity is rare, so he naturally wishes to extend his hospitality as a host."

Liang Wang was the current emperor's uncle, and Liu Yao was the empress's uncle. In terms of seniority, they were both of the King of Wu's grandparents' generation. Sun Buqi leveraged this relationship in his persuasion. Furthermore, Liang Wang and Liu Yao were accustomed to a life of luxury and had found the recent days of outdoor lodging quite uncomfortable. They had already been hoping for a chance to rest in a prosperous area.

Liu Yao, in particular, had been sharing a carriage with Liang Wang every day these past few days because Zu An had taken over his own. Both men felt awkward. This was a perfect opportunity to request a new carriage from the King of Wu, saving them further trouble down the road.

Liang Wang suddenly realized an issue: "But with so many of us, wouldn't it be inconvenient to enter the city?"

Sun Buqi quickly replied, "Liang Wang, please rest assured. My lord has been busy with this matter for days. He has already arranged many empty residences near the King's estate and constructed a training ground, enough to accommodate all the accompanying Imperial Guards."

Liang Wang nodded subtly. If the King of Wu had suggested stationing the Imperial Guards in military camps outside the city while only inviting a few of them to the King's estate, he would have genuinely worried about potential problems.

After all, this imperial prisoner was of great importance. Although the King of Wu had always been discreet, Liang Wang couldn't guarantee he wouldn't take a dangerous gamble.

"Wouldn't this disturb the common people?" Liu Yao asked, a smile that didn't reach his eyes playing on his lips.

Sun Buqi's breath caught for a moment, but he quickly responded, "General, please rest assured. Upon hearing that an imperial envoy was to be welcomed, many families voluntarily contributed their houses. At the same time, our King has provided them with appropriate compensation, so there will absolutely be no disturbance to the people."

Liang Wang, standing nearby, sneered inwardly. "Who are you trying to fool with that pretense of caring for the people like a father cares for his children? Everyone knows how things work in this circle."

Despite the minor ripple, it did not affect the final decision.

Soon, the order was passed down. Hearing they could enter the city to rest, the Imperial Guards cheered.

Inside the prisoner's carriage, Sang Hong frowned subtly and sighed, "How many years has the country been stable, and the Imperial Guards are already like this?"

Sang Qian, beside him, said, "It's quite normal for them to be accustomed to a life of ease under the Emperor's nose every day."

Not to mention these Imperial Guards, even the River Defense Camp in Brightmoon City had similar habits. In comparison, these Imperial Guards were still a bit more elite.

Sang Hong, however, had a worried look in his eyes: "The people of the Great Zhou Dynasty all rely on the Emperor being the greatest master in the world, believing no foreign tribes would dare to stir up trouble. But the Emperor cannot protect the Great Zhou Dynasty forever..."

In the carriage, Zu An heard the joyous cheers of the Imperial Guards around them and asked curiously, "The King of Wu?"

Having spent so much time together, Zheng Dan knew he was unaware of many common facts about this world, so she began to explain: "The King of Wu is the current Emperor's fifth son. However, his birth mother is an imperial concubine, not the Empress, so he was assigned to the Wu Commandery fiefdom early on."

Zu An nodded. He vaguely recalled Chu Chuyan mentioning that Wu Commandery was adjacent to Linchuan Commandery, with its administrative seat in Jibei City. Because Wu Commandery had a Jishan mountain range, and the city was located north of it, it was called Jibei City. "By the way, what is the King of Wu's reputation like normally? What kind of personality does he generally have?"

Of course, when entering someone else's territory, it's essential to gather intelligence beforehand so one can adapt to any unforeseen circumstances.

Zheng Dan shook her head slightly. "The King of Wu usually keeps a low profile. He has no bad reputation, nor is he particularly praised for his wisdom, so I don't know much about his specifics."

Outside, Huang Huihong looked somewhat surprised. Zu An had humiliated Miss Zheng so much, yet she was still patiently answering his questions. This woman truly had a good temperament.

Inside the carriage, Zu An's expression was amused. So he was a "Gou Sheng" type. Such a person was either genuinely content with no ambition, or had extremely grand designs. He wondered which it was.

"Oh, and the most famous thing about the King of Wu over the years is that he married a woman from a minor family," Zheng Dan recalled some rumors from years past. "You see, these high-ranking princes almost always marry into powerful aristocratic families to consolidate their status, so his behavior was quite unexpected."

"However, after people saw the King of Wu's consort, all doubts were dispelled, because it's said that she possessed a beauty capable of toppling cities. So, the King of Wu's choice became understandable." Zheng Dan couldn't help but scoff, "You men just love to judge people by their looks."

Zu An immediately chuckled, "You say that as if women don't like handsome men. The women in my hometown are far crazier when chasing handsome men than men chasing female celebrities."

Zheng Dan was startled. "The customs in your hometown are a bit too... too much."

Having been educated in the women's quarters since childhood, she couldn't truly imagine such behavior, yet she also felt a hint of envy for those women who weren't bound by strict social etiquette.

Led by Sun Buqi, the convoy slowly entered Jibei City. Zu An quietly lifted the carriage curtain and looked out. "It doesn't seem as prosperous as Brightmoon City."

"Of course. Brightmoon City benefits from its salt and iron resources and gathers wealthy merchants from all corners of the land, so it's naturally more prosperous than other places." Zheng Dan's tone carried a hint of pride, indicating that everyone seemed to have a soft spot for their hometown.

The streets were filled with Jibei City residents, who were clearly interested in the Imperial Guards from the capital and flocked to watch the spectacle.

Zu An paused, then suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd. However, this person had changed their usual attire and blended in among the people.

Just then, a streak of black light suddenly shot out from the crowd.