Chapter 683: You Think You Deserve It?

“Oh?” The lady in the carriage showed only slight surprise but didn't ask further questions, clearly uninterested in external affairs.

However, since the other party had just helped, she didn't take the opportunity to leave.

The gap-toothed coachman, having served her for many years, naturally understood her thoughts. He leaned leisurely against the carriage door, content to watch the drama unfold.

Hearing Zu'an's words, a sneer flashed in the noble young man's eyes, but he still courteously cupped his hands. "Forgive my poor sight, but I fail to see what kind of important person you might be."

Zu'an replied, "No great figure, just a baron personally enfeoffed by the Emperor and a Gentleman of the Crown Prince's Household. We serve in the same court; let's make things convenient for each other."

He said this primarily to ascertain whether today's incident was a coincidence or a setup targeting him. Logically, if it were merely a chance encounter with an arrogant second-generation official, knowing his identity should make them hesitate.

While neither Baron nor Gentleman of the Crown Prince's Household were particularly high-ranking titles, one was personally conferred by the Emperor, and the other was a close confidant of the future Emperor. No sane person would relentlessly pursue conflict over a mere chance encounter.

"Oh?" At this moment, a soft sound of surprise came from the carriage. The curtain on the nearby window was slightly parted, revealing a glimpse of delicate, slender jade-like fingers. Just seeing that hand was enough to imagine her unparalleled beauty.

The gap-toothed coachman was a little surprised. The lady had always been indifferent to most things; what was different today?

Then the noble young man on horseback laughed, "Oh, a Gentleman of the Crown Prince's Household, and a baron! What a high-ranking official! I'm so scared!"

The surrounding knights also burst into laughter, mocking him:

"A mere petty official dares to assert his status here?"

"This fellow is probably a country bumpkin, isn't he? He clearly doesn't know that in the capital, if you throw a brick, eight out of ten people it hits will outrank him."

"Exactly, exactly. Many of us here hold higher official positions than a mere Gentleman of the Crown Prince's Household."

While a Gentleman of the Crown Prince's Household was indeed a close confidant of the Crown Prince, his official rank was not particularly high, so their remarks weren't entirely wrong.

However, the position of Gentleman of the Crown Prince's Household couldn't be measured by rank alone. Being so close to the Crown Prince meant interacting with powerful and influential figures. It was similar to a leader's secretary in a previous life—their official position might not be high, but who would dare easily offend a secretary close to their leader?

Zu'an quietly observed these individuals, understanding now that they were indeed targeting him specifically. They certainly weren't part of the Crown Prince's faction, otherwise, they would have shown due respect.

Therefore, they could only be from Prince Qi's faction. No wonder the startled warhorse had died so strangely earlier; it must have been a setup by these people.

At this point, the noble young man on horseback waved his hand, signaling for his companions to be quiet, and then addressed Zu'an. "I wonder, Sir, in which row and column you stand in the Golden Palace during court?"

During court sessions, only officials of higher rank were qualified to stand within the Golden Palace and be in close proximity to the Emperor.

Officials of lower rank had to wait outside the Golden Palace, arranged in order. Unless summoned for specific matters, they had no right to an audience with the Emperor and could only occasionally glimpse the interior of the Golden Palace from afar.

Those with even lower ranks would be positioned further away, closer to the palace gates, unable to even see the Golden Palace interior from a distance, only its magnificent roof.

Therefore, one could fully determine each other's official rank and level of imperial favor based on their standing position during court.

Zu'an calmly replied, "I don't need to attend court."

The noble young man burst into laughter. "So, this official doesn't even qualify to attend court!"

He then stopped laughing, spat directly on the ground, and sneered, "And you dare claim to serve in the same court as me? Are you even worthy?"

The surrounding knights thoughtfully cooperated with their master, echoing his words and mocking Zu'an's overestimation of himself.

"Silence!" Zu'an snorted, activating his Hundred Harmonies ability. An invisible sound wave spread out, causing the knights to feel a sudden headache, their words stuck in their throats, unable to speak for a moment.

Some with lower cultivation even fell directly from their horses, looking utterly disheveled.

Zu'an hadn't used his full power; otherwise, many of these knights might have been shocked into imbeciles.

As a "Keyboard Warrior" who deeply understood the essence of careful self-preservation, revealing one's full power from the start was simply too reckless.

Seeing the conflict erupt, the surrounding onlookers instantly scattered, and the area quickly became deserted.

The noble young man narrowed his eyes. "I wondered why you were so arrogant. So you have some cultivation. What a pity, a mere sixth-rank cultivation, yet you dare throw your weight around in the capital?"

The combat power Zu'an displayed in that instant matched the previous intelligence assessment: his visible cultivation was between fifth and sixth rank, but his actual combat strength was higher, equivalent to a peak sixth rank, possibly even touching seventh rank.

But even if he were seventh rank, he was nothing more than an ant in the young man's eyes.

Zu'an then looked at him with a faint smile. "May I ask who you are, Sir? At least let me die knowing who my opponent is."

The noble young man snorted, proudly raising his chin, revealing a pair of upturned nostrils.

Clearly, introducing himself was beneath his dignity. A knight nearby, understanding his unspoken command, promptly announced, "Open your dog eyes and see! This is the current Crown Prince of Qi, His Royal Highness Zhao Zhi, holding the rank of Commander of the Yi Army. Is someone like you, a petty official, someone you dare provoke? Do you even know the crime of offending a superior?"

While the title "Commander of the Yi Army" might sound common, it was not equivalent to a modern military captain; it was, in fact, a genuinely high-ranking general.

Within the imperial palace were the Six Armies: Leader, Protector, Left and Right Guards, Valiant Cavalry, and Skirmisher. Outside of that, in the four directions of the capital, were the Left, Right, Front, and Rear Armies.

These troops were primarily responsible for the security of the imperial palace and the capital.

The capital's suburbs, on the other hand, were overseen by the Six Commanders: Commander of the Garrison Cavalry, Commander of the Infantry, Commander of the Yue Cavalry (Demon Cavalry), Commander of Changshui, Commander of the Archer Corps, and Commander of the Yi Army. These constituted the empire's central field army, the elite of the elite.

Each Commander controlled one-sixth of this force and possessed at least an eighth-rank cultivation. One could imagine the height of his official position and status.

Zu'an understood then. No wonder. It must be because he had recently offended Prince Qi; the elder, valuing his status, found it inconvenient to intervene personally, so it fell to the younger generation to act.

This setup, judging by its apparent intent, was designed to kill him. Slaughtering a military horse and offending a superior could easily lead to a death sentence, and even if higher authorities investigated, they would have plausible explanations.

They played this game so skillfully, it was clearly not their first time.

Just then, an urgent voice suddenly called out from the side, "Your Royal Highness, my brother-in-law has just arrived in the capital and is unfamiliar with many rules. He didn't mean to offend you. Please, on behalf of the Qin and Chu families, show leniency in this matter."

A young man with rosy lips and white teeth, more beautiful than a woman, stepped forward. It was Chu Youzhao.

Beside him stood a small beauty, like a wild female leopard, radiating untamed charm, her wheat-colored skin particularly striking. Who else could it be but Murong Qinghe?

Chu Youzhao and Murong Qinghe were originally out enjoying a stroll. Seeing something happening from a distance, and being naturally curious, they excitedly rushed over to watch the drama unfold, only to find themselves directly involved.

Upon seeing Zu'an, she hurriedly stepped forward to try and de-escalate the conflict.

Regardless of Zu'an's relationship with her sister, he had saved her multiple times, so she had to help.

"So it's Young Master Chu and Miss Murong," Prince Qi's Crown Prince, Zhao Zhi, nodded slightly to them. The families behind these two were pillars of Prince Qi's faction, so he naturally couldn't be disrespectful. "From Young Master Chu's words, this must be that notorious Chu family son-in-law, Zu'an. When Miss Chu recruited a street ruffian as her son-in-law, how many noble young masters in the capital lamented! I even thought that with Miss Chu's discerning eye, her chosen husband might possess some unique talent."

"But seeing him today, I can only sigh and admit that Miss Chu's judgment in men is indeed lacking."

Chu Youzhao seethed inwardly, but needing a favor today, she could only forcefully suppress her anger. "My brother-in-law is new to the capital. If he has offended Your Royal Highness in any way, I apologize on his behalf."

Zu'an calmly stated, "Youzhao, come back. There's no need for you to apologize on my behalf. It's more like he should be apologizing to me."