Chapter 664: No Hope, Just Wait for Death

The imperial guards exchanged glances, then said with some concern, "Zu An is now a baron enfeoffed by the Emperor, and also a Prince's Retainer. Won't there be trouble?"

King Qi said nonchalantly, "It's fine. Just bring him here."

Seeing they didn't have to act directly, the guards breathed a sigh of relief, cupped their hands in salute, and departed to carry out the order.

King Qi gazed in the direction of the East Palace, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. The Crown Princess's intention to build her own power base had not escaped him, but he knew it wouldn't be that easy.

Meanwhile, as Zu An exited the East Palace gate, he was stopped by the brothers Pu Duandiao and Jiao Sigun.

"What's wrong?" Zu An asked, curious about their hesitant expressions.

Pu Duandiao hesitated for a moment, then, seeing that no one was paying attention to them, lowered his voice and said, "Lord Zu, you really need to be careful these days."

"Why do you say that?" Feeling the gravity of their expressions, Zu An's heart sank slightly.

Jiao Sigun said, "Do you know why we two could become junior captains of the East Palace guards?"

"Because you're the Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Fledgling of the East Palace?" Zu An couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at the "Kidney Deficiency Young Master" and "Argumentative Master" in front of him.

The two men paused, clearly not understanding his meaning, but continued, "With our qualifications, we shouldn't have become East Palace guard captains so quickly. Our two previous guard captains, both in aptitude and cultivation, were one in ten thousand among their peers in the Imperial Army. At the time, they were full of youthful vigor and always wanted to achieve great things."

"One time, they saw King Qi treating the Crown Prince rather... arrogantly in private, and they spoke up to reprimand him. King Qi didn't say anything at the time, but the next day, they didn't show up for roll call. When everyone went to look for them at their residence, they found two headless bodies."

"The subordinates who joined them in criticizing King Qi also had their heads disappear without a trace."

"The incident caused a huge stir at the time, but it was quickly hushed up."

Zu An listened, stunned. No wonder everyone in the East Palace had been acting like quails; there was such a precedent.

It was hard to tell that King Qi, who outwardly appeared to be a refined and benevolent prince, could be so ruthless and cruel.

No wonder he had been able to contend with the Emperor for so many years. They were indeed brothers, sharing the exact same inherent ruthlessness and suspicion.

Just then, he suddenly noticed the "Crouching Dragon" and "Phoenix Fledgling" staring at him with strange expressions. He couldn't help but be taken aback. "Why are you two looking at me like that?"

The two said, "Those people who reprimanded King Qi back then weren't as harsh as you were today. May you be blessed with good fortune."

Then they sighed and left, looking as if he were beyond saving and just waiting for death.

Zu An was speechless.

It had to be said, although the "Crouching Dragon" and "Phoenix Fledgling" were a bit ridiculous, they were still quite loyal. At least they would secretly warn him, and his efforts these past days, treating them like brothers, had not been in vain.

However, he wasn't particularly afraid, as he had his own reasons for offending King Qi.

On his way to the imperial prison, General Guo Zhi of the Right Guard happened to be patrolling there. Seeing Zu An, he showed a friendly smile. "Oh, Brother Zu, what brings you here?"

The last time, Zu An had solved a major problem that had troubled him for a long time, so he found him particularly pleasing to the eye.

Zu An exchanged pleasantries with him for a while before explaining his purpose. Guo Zhi was slightly surprised. "Didn't they already get a confession last time? What else needs to be investigated?"

Zu An replied, "The Crown Princess asked me to come and inquire again. It's just routine."

Guo Zhi looked understanding. "No problem, Brother Zu, ask whatever you need. Actually, I've been racking my brain lately trying to figure out what to do with these guys. The Cheng Xiong case has concluded, and they're useless now. Keeping them here is just a hassle. Several times, I've wanted to 'snap' them..."

As he spoke, he made a throat-slitting gesture, then continued, "Unfortunately, the Emperor hasn't given any orders, and I don't dare act on my own initiative. Brother Zu, why don't you try to sound out the Emperor and see how I should deal with these people?"

"Why don't you ask yourself, Brother Guo? Your official rank is much higher than mine," Zu An said, surprised. The Emperor hadn't told him about releasing the prisoners, which would make his own actions much more difficult.

Guo Zhi replied in distress, "I wouldn't dare court trouble. With assassins causing a stir in the palace, the Emperor has reprimanded us several times. Now that even Cheng Xiong has fallen, I naturally keep a low profile whenever possible. But you're different, Brother Zu. The Emperor specifically ordered that you can enter and exit the imperial prison freely and that I should cooperate with all your requests as much as possible. Honestly, it's quite enviable! Brother Zu, you've only been here a few days, and already you're in such high favor with His Majesty."

Zu An silently cursed. The Emperor's instructions were too subtle; Guo Zhi might not grasp their true intent. It seemed he would have to find his own way to rescue them.

He thought for a moment and said, "Then first, withdraw all the experts from the imperial prison."

Guo Zhi looked astonished. "But what if the imperial prisoners escape then?"

Zu An replied, "How could they escape within the inner palace? Besides, they still have the Soul-Reaping Ropes restrictions from the Embroidered Uniform Guards on them."

Guo Zhi looked troubled. "But why suddenly withdraw the expert guards?"

Zu An pulled him aside and whispered, "I want to create an illusion for those imperial prisoners, making them mistakenly believe they have a chance to escape. With hope of survival, they'll start valuing their lives, their psychological defenses will weaken, and I'll be able to extract more information."

Guo Zhi's eyes lit up. "Brother Zu, that's truly a brilliant move. No wonder you were able to get so much information last time."

After saying this, he eagerly scurried off to have his subordinates withdraw, leaving only the lowest-ranking jailers to maintain the normal operation of the imperial prison.

After arranging everything, he came back and said to Zu An, "Brother Zu, make yourself at home. The palace has tightened security recently due to the assassins, and I still have to patrol, so I can't accompany you."

"Then I'll treat you to a drink next time, Brother Guo." Zu An cupped his hands in salute.

"Alright!" Guo Zhi waved his hand and left with his men.

Zu An remained silent. This man appeared simple-minded, but how could someone in his position be foolish?

Ever since he was almost entrapped by Cheng Xiong based on a tiny clue last time, he no longer dared to underestimate the intelligence of those within the palace.

Guo Zhi had clearly guessed what he intended to do, so he deliberately kept his distance, not wanting to be involved in the slightest.

Of course, had the Emperor not secretly instructed him, he would not have cooperated by withdrawing the experts.

Putting his thoughts aside, Zu An walked directly into the imperial prison.

At that moment, in the deepest cells of the imperial prison, several people were whispering.

"Elder, Mr. Huo, why hasn't that person come to rescue us after all this time?" It was Gu Yueyi who spoke. These past days, he had been waiting eagerly, but the longer he waited, the more disappointed and irritable he became.

"Rescuing people from the imperial prison is not that easy. Just be patient and wait," Elder Sun Lüzhen said, opening his eyes. Despite being covered in bloodstains, his eyes remained bright and sharp.

"What if he never intended to rescue us? What if he was just deliberately deceiving us before?" As Gu Yueyi spoke, his face grew paler. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Sun Lüzhen and Huo Sanren also fell silent; they too harbored a faint suspicion.

"Calm yourselves," Sun Lüzhen eventually said, maintaining his composure better.

Huo Sanren, who was nearby, also said, "That's right. When we came to assassinate in the palace this time, we were prepared to die. If someone can rescue us, we'll be fortunate, but if not, it's to be expected."

Gu Yueyi's expression kept changing. He thought to himself, 'You two are old; of course, you've lived enough. I'm still young!'

He even pondered, if Zu An truly went back on his word, he would report him to Lord Guo, hoping to exchange this secret for his own life.

Just then, a clear voice drifted in: "I didn't expect Reverend Huo to be so magnanimous. Truly admirable."

The group was both surprised and delighted. They all turned to look, saw Zu An standing not far away, and collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they had all disregarded life and death, it was certainly better to avoid death if possible.

However, noticing the team of jailers standing behind him, the group's expressions changed again. Gu Yueyi said with a trembling voice, "You... you're not here to silence us, are you?"

Zu An smiled, about to reply, when suddenly a commotion erupted outside. Several jailers were pushed and tumbled down the stairs.

Eight golden-armored guards strode in swaggering, sternly declaring, "You insolent fools! How dare you obstruct those whom His Royal Highness King Qi wishes to see?"